New Florida Law Prompts Stricter Cell Phone Rules in Alachua Schools

GAINESVILLE – A new state law is prompting Alachua County Public Schools to significantly tighten its guidelines on student use of cell phones and other personal wireless devices for the 2025–26 school year.

House Bill 1105, passed by the Florida Legislature, restricts student access to personal devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, headphones, and tablets during the school day.

Under the revised district guidelines, students at all elementary and middle schools, as well as at High Springs Community School, Oak View Middle School, Hawthorne Middle/High School, and A. Quinn Jones School, must keep all personal devices powered off and out of sight from the time they arrive on campus until they leave.

At high schools — except Hawthorne and A. Quinn Jones, which follow the stricter elementary/middle school rules—and at Sidney Lanier Center, students are prohibited from using devices during instructional time unless explicitly permitted by a teacher for educational use.

Students at the middle and high school levels may use devices during extracurricular activities.

The district emphasized that students have access to district-approved instructional technology throughout the school day. In emergency situations or other safety concerns, families are urged to contact their school's front office directly rather than reaching out to students via personal devices.

To notify families of the changes, the district is distributing information via email, phone, and text message. Updates are also posted on the district’s official Facebook page and website. Additional information and updated policies can be found at alachuaschools.net/cellphones, including links to the revised Codes of Student Conduct for both elementary and secondary students.

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