CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — As students prepare to return to class next week, Clayton County Public Schools is reminding families that kindergarten through eighth-grade students will be subject to Georgia’s Distraction-Free Schools Act.
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The district said it will continue enforcing the state law, which took effect July 1, requiring school systems to limit students’ use of personal electronic devices during the school day.
Students return to class on Monday, August 3.
The policy applies to devices including cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, wireless earbuds, headphones, smart glasses, gaming systems, digital media players and e-readers.
Under district rules, the visible possession or use of those devices is prohibited during school hours, inside school buildings and on school buses unless school administrators approve their use for instructional purposes. Devices must remain turned off during the school day.
Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) will continue to have access to devices required under their plans.
“Our classrooms are places where students come to learn the skills they will need to lay a foundation for future growth and success,” Interim Superintendent Dr. Douglas Hendrix Sr. said in a statement. “They are places of teaching and learning, not socializing and entertainment. Schools need to be distraction-free.”
Hendrix said students are expected to follow the district’s electronic device policy and warned that violations could result in disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.
Clayton County officials also noted that Georgia lawmakers have approved expanding the Distraction-Free Schools Act to include high school students beginning in July 2027, giving districts time to update their policies before the change takes effect.
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