Forsyth schools keep high school cellphone policy despite new state ban

Forsyth County Schools will keep its high school cellphone policy in place next year, choosing to stick with a local approach even after Gov. Brian Kemp signed a statewide ban on student phone use in schools.

The district’s “Distraction Free Education” policy, already in effect since Aug. 5, 2025, applies across Forsyth County’s eight high schools and requires students to put away phones, smartwatches and other devices during instructional time. High school students are still allowed to use phones during lunch.

Forsyth officials had already spent months building support for the change through town halls and a “Disconnect to Reconnect” campaign. The district has described the effort as a community-wide conversation aimed at reducing smart device distractions and encouraging more meaningful connections among students, staff and families. Forsyth County Schools said the policy is grounded in research, stakeholder feedback, and a focus on student well-being and academic success.

The school board approved the policy on June 17, 2025, before students returned to class with the new rules in place. When the change rolled out, Superintendent Mitch Young said the district was “embarking on a strange new journey.” Forsyth County High School principal Ashley Johnessee said the goal was to reduce distractions and help students stay focused on learning.

Kemp signed Georgia’s high school cellphone ban on May 5, 2026, but the mandate does not take effect until the 2027-28 school year. The new law expands Georgia’s earlier cellphone restrictions, which already apply to grades K-8 beginning in the 2026-27 school year, and includes exceptions for students with special needs.

Georgia education officials and lawmakers have argued that cellphones pull attention away from class and can harm mental health, and similar restrictions have now been adopted in more than 30 states. Forsyth’s decision leaves its local rules intact for now, even as the state prepares to impose a broader standard on high schools later.