Metter schools prepare for Georgia’s bell-to-bell device restrictions
Candler County Schools announced July 21 that Metter High School and Metter College & Career Academy will restrict students’ access to personal communication devices during the 2026-27 school year.
The district says the rule will apply from 7:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. and will cover cellphones, smartwatches, earbuds or headphones, tablets and other personal communication devices.
What Metter students and parents should expect
Under the district’s announcement, personal communication devices may not be seen or heard during the stated school-day window. The notice says smartwatches may be worn, but students may not use them for communication.
The notice also provides a limited classroom exception: students may use wired earbuds or headphones with school Chromebooks when a class requires them. The state law separately distinguishes school equipment provided by the school system from personal electronic devices.
Parents or guardians who need to reach a student during the school day are directed to call the appropriate school front office. Staff will ensure the message is delivered to the student.
The local start and state-law dates are different
The district describes its local rule as an implementation of Georgia House Bill 1009. The enacted measure, identified as Act 395, was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 5, 2026, but the act says it becomes effective on December 31, 2026.
For public-school students in grades nine through 12, HB 1009 requires schools to prohibit access to personal electronic devices during the school day no later than July 1, 2027. That is an outside statewide deadline, not a statement that every local district must wait until that date.
Candler County Schools has announced that Metter’s high-school campuses will begin implementing the restriction during the 2026-27 school year. The district notice therefore describes a local implementation decision made before the statute’s listed effective date. The notice does not explain why the district chose that timing.
State law requires more than a general ban
HB 1009 requires local school systems and public schools to adopt or revise policies covering bell-to-bell access to personal electronic devices. The law defines bell-to-bell as the period from the first bell signaling instructional time through the final bell ending the school day, including breaks, transitions, assemblies and other school-related activities during that period.
Local policies must establish methods for storing devices, such as lockers, locked pouches or designated classroom locations. They also must address off-site events and activities, transportation, athletics, extracurricular events, field trips, dual enrollment, work-based learning and apprenticeship programs.
The law requires communication procedures for emergencies, with emergency communication handled through school systems and coordinated by school personnel. It also requires parents or guardians who need to communicate with a student during the school day to contact the school directly.
Violations are subject to progressive consequences under the local student code of conduct. The statute lists possible actions including verbal warnings, confiscation, parental notification and other appropriate measures, but it does not set one statewide consequence schedule.
Exceptions and unanswered local details
A student may access a personal electronic device when an Individualized Education Program, Section 504 Plan or medical plan explicitly requires the device for educational or medical purposes.
Candler County’s July 21 notice explains the hours, covered devices, smartwatch treatment, wired-earbud exception and front-office contact procedure. It does not, by itself, identify the storage method, explain how the rule will operate during off-campus instruction or activities, or publish a complete discipline schedule.
The notice also is not proof that every procedure required by HB 1009 has been formally adopted or published. Families should check the final student handbook, code of conduct and school communications for the enforcement process, storage instructions and exceptions.
The district should clarify how its 2026-27 implementation aligns with the law’s December 31 effective date and how the policy will work for students involved in transportation, athletics, dual enrollment, work-based learning, apprenticeships or other activities away from campus.
Sources
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