When Cherry Hill students return to class on Wednesday, Sept. 2, their phones, smartwatches, and smart glasses will have to stay locked away from the morning bell to dismissal under the district's implementation of New Jersey's statewide device ban.

The state's bell-to-bell ban on internet-enabled devices during the school day was signed into law Jan. 8 and requires all public school boards to adopt a compliant policy for the 2026-2027 school year. Students must store personal devices in lockers or backpacks for the entire day, including lunch and study halls.

But Cherry Hill's school board isn't rushing the rollout. At its July 29 meeting, board members rejected a state Education Department recommendation to suspend the standard two-reading process for new policies. Instead, the district will hold a second reading at a special meeting before September to ensure the process receives full deliberation, according to a report read by board member Miriam Stern on behalf of absent member Bridget Palmer.

"The policy allows for...limited use of apps as part of instruction with the approval of the building or district administration," Stern said. "So there may be some big work to do for some of our new administrators coming in, especially at the middle school and high school level."

A broader tech policy is coming

Assistant Superintendent Farrah Mahan, who oversees PreK-12 curriculum, told the board that administrators will present a proposed district-wide technology policy in August that includes an artificial intelligence plan. That policy will go beyond the phone ban to address how students and staff use technology across the district.

The phone ban includes exemptions. Students who monitor health conditions with a device, those with Individualized Education Programs requiring device access, and students who need specific apps for instruction in classes like music or finance may receive permission from building administrators.

After school hours, the rules loosen. Devices may be used on school property at the discretion of teachers and club advisors during after-school activities and on buses.

Board member flags Chromebook concerns

Board member Renee Cherfane raised a separate issue after the presentation, calling the phone ban "a big one" and pressing the district to also examine what students access on district-issued Chromebook laptops at home.

"What I've witnessed with this is that when they come home, there's still very unlimited access to a lot of things on those devices," Cherfane said of the laptops, according to 70and73.com.

The state law explicitly excludes school-issued devices used for educational purposes from the ban, meaning Chromebooks used in class are not affected. But Cherfane's concern centers on what happens when those laptops leave the building.

No date has been announced for the special meeting where the board will take its second vote on the technology policy. Mahan said administrators will present the broader tech and AI policy in August, ahead of the Sept. 2 first day of school.

What parents need to know

• What's banned: Smartphones, smartwatches, smart glasses, and other internet-enabled personal devices during school hours.
• Where devices go: Lockers or backpacks, bell to bell.
• Exemptions: Health monitoring, IEP requirements, and instructional app use approved by administrators.
• After school: Teachers and club advisors may allow device use during activities and on buses.
• First day of school: Wednesday, Sept. 2.