If you haven’t noticed, the rules around the use of phones may have gotten tighter since the end of winter break. As of January 1, 2026, a new state law (House Bill 250) has officially gone into full effect. This law requires all schools in Ohio to adopt a phone policy, restricting the use of phones during the instructional school day.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce defines an instructional day as, “…any period of time in which a student is expected to be in attendance and includes not only formal instruction time but also supervised activities, such as transitioning between classes, recess, meal periods, and field trips.”
This may be the official definition, however, many districts, such as Twinsburg, North Royalton, and Brecksville-Broadview Heights do not consider hallway passing time, meals, or recess periods as part of the instructional day.
The BBHCSD specifically classifies these areas as “Red Zones” and “Green Zones”. “Green Zones” are places that allow the usage of phones, such as large group study halls, the cafeteria, and hallways. “Red Zones” include classrooms, locker rooms, small group study halls, and restrooms. The restrictions are not only limited to phones, but all electronic devices like smart watches and bluetooth headphones/earbuds.
Any person who is found to violate the policy will be subjected to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. Violations can result in a punishment including detention, Saturday school, loss of open campus, and out of school suspension.
