Attention NSD parents and students. Important information regarding the No Cell Act passed by the Arkansas State Legislature this Spring. All school must comply with this law and we want to give as much notice as possible to our students and their families in preparation for the new school year beginning August 14th.
The "Bell to Bell, No Cell Act," Arkansas Law SB142, goes into effect for all public schools beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. The law states that students are
not permitted to have cell phones or other personal electronic devices in their possession during the school day. The "school day" is defined as from when a student is required to be at school until they are dismissed at the end of the day; this also includes lunch/recess times.
- Cell phones and personal electronic devices that are powered off in a student's backpack or in the classroom phone lockers are not considered in the student's possession.
- In possession includes, but is not limited to:
• Holding the device or having it visible
• Carrying the device in a pocket or on their person
• Accessing the device while it is in their backpack
- Devices must remain powered off and not accessed at any time during the day, including lunch/recess times.
- Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices include, but are not limited to, the listed Devices not Provided by the School:
• Cell Phones
• Smart Watches
• Devices that can connect and transmit data via Bluetooth such as earbuds/headphones
• Tablets, laptop computers, portable game consoles
• Digital Media Players
• Digital Video Cameras, Video/Audio Recorders
EXCEPTIONS
- Students that are required to have a device for health reasons
- Or the device is assigned to a student by the school
- During an authorized special school-related event such as field trips, awards assemblies, etc.
- During after-school extracurricular activities
- During an emergency situation including but not limited to:
• Active Fire, Tornado, Earthquake
• Active shooter
• An evacuation of school grounds
• A medical emergency