Batesville School Update Cell Phone Policy

The new rules are effective at the start of the 2026-27 school year

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(Batesville, Ind.) - The Batesville Community School Corporation has updated its cell phone policy to comply with the new Indiana law.

Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, students' phones must be off, away, and stored from the first bell to the last bell of the school day, with limited exceptions outlined in the policy.

New Superintendent Dr. Katy Eastes outlined the details in a letter to parents and guardians. 

BCSC Cell Phone Policy is as follows

• Students will not be permitted to have cell phones on their persons at any time during the school day, with a few exceptions:
• Students who REQUIRE their cell phone as part of their individual education program (IEP) or for verified medical purposes as part of their 504 plan will be exempt from this requirement, but will still be expected to only use the phone for that specific purpose.
• Phones must be powered off and stored appropriately (according to each building’s established procedures) and remain there from the first bell to the last bell of the school day.

Students are permitted to:

• Use their phones on a BCSC school bus while riding to and from school, on corporation property outside the school day, during after-school activities at the discretion of the adult in charge, or on a school bus during school-sponsored activities outside the school day at the discretion of the bus driver.
• Retrieve their phones when leaving campus for an appointment, an Ivy Tech class, work-based learning, or the Southeastern Career Center, but must return the phones to the appropriate storage area immediately upon returning to the building.

Parents who need to get a message to their student during the school day may call the school office, and the message will be relayed to the student. If a student needs to call home, they may visit the school office to make that request.

Each building will develop its own discipline policies surrounding this issue. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the respective principal.