June 26, 2026
Dear Salthawk Staff and Families,
The Kansas Legislature recently passed HB 2299, a new bipartisan law requiring all public school districts to implement a bell-to-bell cell phone ban. This law supersedes the USD 308 Board of Education cell phone restriction policy adopted for the 2025–2026 school year. Under HB 2299, students may not use or access personal devices—including cell phones, tablets, smart watches, or wireless earbuds and headphones—during the school day. All personal electronic communication devices must remain powered off and completely inaccessible from the start of the school day to dismissal. You can read the full bill here: https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/hb2299/
To comply with this law, the USD 308 School Board adopted Policy IIBGC on June 22, 2026. This policy updates and expands the previous cell phone ban. Key provisions include the following:
• Daily Inaccessibility. Personal electronic communication devices must remain turned off and inaccessible throughout the entire school day, including passing periods and lunch.
• Family Contact. We understand the importance of staying connected with your child. Students will continue to have access to school phones to contact parents or guardians with staff approval. If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call or email the school office.
• Discipline Procedures. As required by law, the district will enforce discipline procedures for violations. Parents and guardians will have the opportunity to review and sign the updated policy during enrollment. The policy will also appear in the student handbooks for grades 7–12.
• Medical Exemptions. Limited exceptions are permitted for documented medical needs or as required by a student’s IEP or Section 504 Plan. Building principals will work directly with families to arrange these accommodations.
• Staff-to-Student Communication. HB 2299 also prohibits school staff from communicating privately with students through personal social media or text messages. All official digital messaging between staff and students must take place through monitored platforms such as Apptegy Rooms or district email (hutchdocs).
To meet the new staff-to-student communication requirements, the district will adopt the Rooms feature through Apptegy, which currently hosts the district website. Rooms will be built into the Hutch App. Instructions for setting up an account will be shared before the school year begins. Parents and guardians can download the Hutch App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
We know that adjusting to a phone-free school day will take some getting used to. Research shows that reducing digital distractions lowers social media anxiety, increases face-to-face interaction among students, and improves focus in the classroom. We remain committed to educating and empowering every Salthawk for life.
Thank you,
Dr. Dawn M. Johnson
Superintendent
Hutchinson Public Schools