Pirate Families,

While Dover School District has already had a "no cell phone" policy in place, Arkansas has now passed into law that all public schools must strictly prohibit students' possession of any personal electronic devices during the school day. This law takes effect for the 25-26 school year and aims to reduce distraction in the classroom and encourage healthy social interaction between students.

• What is considered a personal electronic device?
  • Cell phones, smart watches, tablets, earbuds/headphones, non-school laptops, portable game consoles, or any personal digital devices that are capable of transmitting data via Bluetooth or a mobile network.
• What time of day are these devices excluded?
  • The restriction begins when students arrive on campus, and they will be allowed to use personal electronic devices after the bell rings at the end of the day.
• Can students bring their personal electronic devices to school at all?
  • Students cannot have these devices in their possession (in pocket, hand, etc.) and will be required to have them turned off and kept in their backpacks or lockers.
• Are there any exceptions to the law?
  • Yes, the law does give exceptions for the following:
    • Emergencies that pose immediate danger (such as fires, natural disasters, active threats, etc.)
    • Special school events with administrator approval
    • IEP/504 or medical plan that requires a personal device
    • Students in concurrent college courses that require the use of two-factor authentication to access course work can use their device for that purpose
• What can you do to help?
  • We encourage families to start these conversations now to prepare students for these expectations. Should you need to get an important message to your child during the school day, please contact the school office.

Thank you for helping us support a focused and distraction-free learning environment for our students as we adhere to this new law. If you would like to read the law in full, you can find it at the link below. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's school office.