To our NRHS Parents, Guardians and Students:
On July 1, 2025, the state of Ohio's cell phone ban in K-12 public schools officially went into effect. In the New Richmond Exempted Village School District, that meant students in grades K-8 would have their phones off and away for the duration of the school day while students in grades 9-12 would have access to their phones between bells and during lunch. This language is currently reflected in the 2025-2026 student handbook.
However, on Monday, August 11, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce sent a memo clarifying the law to schools throughout the state. As such, effective immediately, NRHS students will NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS to their phones during the instructional day.
Phones must remain off and away during all class periods, class changes, lunch periods and field trips. There are medical and educational exceptions to this ruling, but those will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
An updated version of the handbook with the new policy will be brought before the NREVSD Board of Education on Monday, August 18. An official board policy will be adopted at a later date.
Please note that as of this writing, athletic events and other extracurricular activities that take place after regular school hours are NOT considered part of the instructional day. Therefore, students will be permitted to have their phones during those times.
While we understand the concern this may cause our parents, particularly with regards to safety, please rest assured NREVSD has and will continue to take every step possible to keep our students and staff safe. We have invested heavily in safety upgrades throughout the district and will continue to do so when the opportunity arises.
Should you have any questions about the district's cell phone policy, please reach out to your building principal.