Colorado rolls out cellphone bans

Colorado is moving from debate to logistics on student cellphone use. House Bill 25-1135 requires every Colorado school district, charter school and the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind to adopt, implement and post a student communication-device policy by July 1, 2026, according to the Colorado General Assembly and the Colorado Department of Education. The law requires each policy to spell out prohibitions and exceptions during the school day, including for disability accommodations, medical needs and emergencies. What that has produced, in practice, is a district-by-district rollout of operating rules: where phones go, when they can come out, and which adults enforce the rule. Some systems are already in place. Others are still being written ahead of the summer deadline. ### What exactly does Colorado’s new law require? Colorado’s law sets a July 1, 2026 deadline for local boards of education, district charter schools and institute charter schools to adopt, implement and post a policy on student communication devices during the school day. (leg.colorado.gov) The General Assembly’s bill summary says the policy must describe prohibitions and exceptions, if any, on possession and use. The Colorado Department of Education says districts are expected to publish those policies online and consider issues such as age-appropriate rules, instructional use, staff training and public feedback. (eagleschools.net) The department also says exceptions must cover disability standards, special education needs, medical monitoring and emergencies. ### Which districts already have stricter rules in place? (leg.colorado.gov) Eagle County School District says elementary and middle school students must keep phones “Away for the Day,” meaning devices are turned off at the start of the day and not powered back on until dismissal. The district says those devices must stay in a locker or backpack, not in clothing pockets, and cannot be used during lunch or transitions. (ed.cde.state.co.us) At Eagle County’s high schools, the district says phones and other personal electronic devices must be turned off when class begins and remain off until class ends. The district allows high school students access during passing periods and lunch, citing the size of campuses and the difficulty of preventing all use. Mesa County Valley School District 51 says prekindergarten through eighth-grade students are prohibited from using personal electronic devices during the designated school day and that devices must be kept in designated areas and turned off. (eagleschools.net) For grades nine through 12, the district says phones are prohibited during instructional time. ### What is Denver considering right now? (eagleschools.net) Denver Public Schools said it created a Communication Devices Advisory Committee to help develop a districtwide policy required by House Bill 25-1135. The district says the committee is advising the Board of Education on prohibitions, exceptions and implementation strategies ahead of July 2026. Chalkbeat reported on April 16 that a Denver committee recommended a bell-to-bell ban for all students. (d51schools.org) Denver Public Schools also said in May that it was surveying families and staff to shape communications around the coming policy. ### How is Jeffco approaching its policy? Jeffco Public Schools says it began policy work last year by studying practices already in place in several secondary schools. (dpsk12.org) The district says students, families and staff contributed through surveys, focus groups and interviews, and that current practices and cellphone-related discipline data were presented to the board in June 2025. (cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org) From January to March 2026, Jeffco said families, staff and students reviewed draft policy language and submitted feedback. Jeffco’s posted draft says every student in grades 1 through 12 is assigned a district-issued device as the primary educational tool during instructional time. ### Why are districts focusing on storage, timing and exceptions? (jeffcopublicschools.org) District websites show the practical questions are now driving the rollout: whether a phone stays in a backpack, locker or designated area; whether high school lunch counts as school time for device access; and how staff handle emergency communication. Eagle County’s policy, for example, directs students who need to make an emergency call to use the office or a classroom phone with teacher permission. (jeffcopublicschools.org) Denver Public Schools said its advisory group is considering enforcement strategies that are “equitable and realistic for schools.” The district also said students should use district-approved Chromebooks, rather than personal devices, for schoolwork. ### What happens next before July 1? July 1, 2026 is the statewide deadline for districts and charter schools to have policies adopted, implemented and posted online. (eagleschools.net) The Colorado Department of Education has published a resource hub with sample policies, guidance, research and best practices for districts still finishing their plans. Denver Public Schools said it is preparing for implementation in July 2026, while Jeffco has already posted draft policy materials for public review. (dpsk12.org) Across Colorado, the next milestone is the same one set in statute: local boards and charter operators must have their final rules in place by July 1. (ed.cde.state.co.us)