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The Phone-Free Schools Toolkit: Everything You Need to Get a Phone Policy Approved
To implement a bell-to-bell phone policy, write the rule, win the board vote, tell parents early and choose how phones are stored all day. This free toolkit gives you the board memo, parent letter, policy template, presentation outline and research list to do it, with no sign-up.
Most phone policies are decided long before anything is bought. A principal or head teacher builds the case, a board or governing body votes, the budget follows, and the rule starts the next school year. This toolkit is built for that process. Copy anything here into your own documents, change the wording, and put your school's name on it. You do not need to credit us and you do not need to give us an email address.
What is in it. 1) The board memo: a one-page recommendation you can send to your superintendent, director or board chair. 2) The parent letter: an announcement that answers the emergency-contact question before it is asked. 3) The policy template: a bell-to-bell rule with exemptions, storage and consequences, ready for your own legal review. 4) The board presentation outline: fifteen slides in order, with what goes on each. 5) The research list: the studies and reports school boards ask about.
Check the rule that applies to you first. Many countries, states and provinces now set the minimum a school must do, and some set deadlines. Our country-by-country tracker covers more than 80 education systems, with a page for each national law, and there are separate guides for US states and Canadian provinces. If your jurisdiction already requires a policy, the memo becomes a compliance plan rather than a proposal, which usually makes the vote easier.
When you get to the storage decision, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so the school does not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide and can print your school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student annual licence. If the purchase is a year away, tell us the term you are aiming for and we will send a budget figure you can put in the memo.
Frequently asked questions
Is this toolkit free to use?
Yes. Copy and adapt anything here for your own school or district. There is no form to fill in and no email required.
How long does it take to get a phone policy approved?
It varies, but many schools work to a six to twelve month cycle: build the case, take it to the board, set the budget, then start at the beginning of a school year or term.
Do I need to buy anything to use these templates?
No. The policy works with any storage method, from lockers to bags to pouches. The templates note where you need to choose.
Related reading
Board memo template: school phone policy · Parent letter template: school phone policy · Bell-to-bell school phone policy template · Board presentation outline: school phone policy · Why schools ban phones · School phone bans by country
Written by the team at Before The Internet, a Toronto-based phone-free company that rents lockable phone pouches for events across North America and sells them to schools and venues worldwide, shipping purchases to any country.
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