Hollidaysburg school board set to decide bell-to-bell cellphone restrictions Aug. 12

The Hollidaysburg Area School Board is scheduled to decide Aug. 12 whether to advance a proposed bell-to-bell cellphone policy for junior-high and senior-high students.

The proposal would require students to keep cellphones silenced and stored out of sight during the school day. It includes exceptions, including medical emergencies. The policy remains pending until the board considers its second reading.

What the board will consider

The board unanimously approved the cellphone policy proposal in June, subject to the required first and second readings. The second reading is listed for the board’s committee-of-the-whole/voting meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 12.

The meeting is scheduled at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, 1510 N. Montgomery St., in Hollidaysburg. The final vote and any amendments remain pending ahead of that meeting.

The proposal covers students at Hollidaysburg Area Junior High and Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School. The available policy details identify the silence-and-storage requirement and exceptions such as medical emergencies, but the exact storage method and complete list of exceptions depend on the final policy text.

Timing for families

The district’s 2026-27 school calendar lists Aug. 26 as the first student day. If the board approves the policy on Aug. 12, students could begin the school year under new restrictions on when and how they keep their phones during the school day.

That timing gives families and school staff less than two weeks between the scheduled vote and the first student day to review the final rule and any exceptions. The proposal should not be treated as a final requirement before the board acts.

Budget context

The cellphone discussion comes as the district begins a school year shaped by a budget decision made in June. On June 17, the board adopted the 2026-27 general-fund budget without a tax increase. The vote was 5-4, and the budget was expected to carry an estimated deficit of about $4.2 million.

The budget vote and the cellphone-policy vote were separate actions. The cellphone proposal received unanimous approval in June, while the final budget passed by a 5-4 vote.

The Aug. 12 meeting is the next scheduled point for the board to decide whether the proposed student cellphone restrictions will become district policy before classes begin Aug. 26.