Summit-area students return to class starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, facing a new rule: personal phones, smartwatches and tablets must stay off and stowed away all day.

Summit and Berkeley Heights school boards approved versions of Policy 5516 at their August meetings, implementing a state law signed Jan. 8 that requires every New Jersey public school district to restrict students' non-academic use of internet-enabled devices. New Providence had its version up for a final vote at the board's Aug. 31 meeting. The law, P.L. 2025, c.195, won near-unanimous approval from the Legislature, with just three no votes among 120 members.

Each board decided the details.

Summit: full-day ban plus a tech rethink

Summit Superintendent Scott Hough described the new policy as an expansion of the district's previous rule, which only required devices off during class, according to TAPinto Summit. The "bell-to-bell" restriction now covers lunch, recess and passing periods.

"Every personal internet-enabled device, including smartphones, smartwatches, smart glasses and tablets, must remain silenced and stowed away from the start of the school day to the end of the school day," Hough told the board at its Aug. 25 meeting.

The board approved Policy 5516 at that meeting. Accommodations remain for students whose device use is authorized through an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a Section 504 plan or a health plan.

Beyond the phone ban, Hough said the district formed a student technology usage committee over the summer to examine how educators use Chromebooks and other classroom technology. The committee included administrators, teachers and school counselors.

Hough also announced the district will conduct a demographic study on how new housing development in Summit could affect enrollment. The board appointed David Pawlowski as business administrator at a prorated salary of $221,000, effective Aug. 12. The next board meeting is Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. at Summit High School.

Berkeley Heights: fast-tracked vote, one dissent

The Berkeley Heights Board of Education approved its phone policy Aug. 27 on a single reading, suspending its own bylaw requiring two readings to meet the state deadline. Board member Dr. Foregger cast the lone dissenting vote on that procedural step, though he did not oppose the policy itself. Members Sai Akiri and Mountainside representative Bill Dillon were absent.

Berkeley Heights' K-8 schools had already been phone-free for years. Governor Livingston High School had required phones away during instruction. The new law extends the restriction to the full school day at every grade level, effective Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The board also approved Open Campus privileges for the Governor Livingston Class of 2027. Seniors may use personal devices during Open Campus time but must put them away upon returning to the building.

A companion policy governing staff use of personal devices to photograph or record students failed on a split vote, with board member Natasha Joly, Foregger and Board President Deb Tererro voting no. That policy is expected to return to the policy committee for revision.

At a separate meeting Aug. 28, Tererro announced that negotiations with the Berkeley Heights Education Association (BHEA) have reached an impasse, according to TAPinto Berkeley Heights. The board passed a resolution urging state legislators to address health benefit costs, citing premium increases approaching 35% for active employees in the 2027 plan year. Finance and Facilities Committee chair Joly reported that district-wide security upgrades are roughly 20% complete, with a target finish of late September.

New Providence: device policy, $188K in extra-teaching payments

The New Providence Board of Education met Aug. 31 and considered second reading and approval of revised Policy 5516, according to TAPinto New Providence. Board President Amanda Marano and Superintendent Dr. Lauren Zirpoli welcomed staff back for the new year. Whether the board voted to adopt the policy has not been confirmed in public records as of publication.

The board's agenda also included 27 payments totaling approximately $188,000 to high school and middle school staff for taking on additional teaching loads, NJ21st reported. The board approved $3,296,420.26 in August bills.

New Providence also approved new curricula, including a Universal Literacy Screening program for grades K-3, a Cursive Reading & Writing course for grades 3-5 and an Advanced Weight Training course for grades 10-12. Notable personnel appointments included Sweety Patel as director of school counseling and Elizabeth Shipley as part-time communications coordinator.

The district's technology department reported it has trimmed its list of cloud-based services from roughly 700 to 244 through a privacy review. The next New Providence board meeting is Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Middle School/High School Media Center.