Hillsborough County Public Schools cell phone policy
Hillsborough County Public Schools serves roughly 224,000 students across the Tampa area in Hillsborough County. Its phone rules sit under Florida's HB 379 (2023), extended by HB 1105 (2025), which is bell-to-bell ban effective 2023 for instructional time; extended 2025-26.
Metro
Tampa
Enrollment
224,000
State law
Bell-to-bell ban
Does Hillsborough County Public Schools ban cell phones?
Yes. Hillsborough County Public Schools restricts student phone use for the whole day in elementary and middle schools under Florida's extended device law.
District rule: Full-day ban in elementary and middle schools. For the statute, the exceptions and the timeline, see the Florida phone policy guide.
Enforcing a phone-free day across Tampa
Writing the policy is the easy part. Holding it in place across every classroom in a district this size is the part that fails. Three models are in use:
Central collection
Phones handed in at the door. The district becomes responsible for thousands of devices and dismissal turns into a queue.
Staff-policed rules
Zero hardware cost, but enforcement is uneven from teacher to teacher and drifts within a term.
Locking pouches
Each student keeps their own phone, locked in a pouch, all day. Magnetic key stations at exits release them in seconds. Bought outright and reused each year.
Next steps for Hillsborough County Public Schools
- 1. Pick a pilot — one campus or one grade level. MOQ is 100 pouches.
- 2. Decide branded or unbranded. Unbranded ships in about 2 weeks, branded large quantities in 3-4 weeks.
- 3. Plan magnetic key stations at each exit — GS 12000 or GS 14000 depending on throughput.
- 4. Send parents the policy note and emergency contact route before day one.
Hillsborough County Public Schools — FAQs
Yes. Hillsborough County Public Schools restricts student phone use for the whole day in elementary and middle schools under Florida's extended device law.
Locking pouches for Hillsborough County Public Schools
Buy outright, reuse every year. MOQ 100 pcs, about 2 weeks unbranded and 3-4 weeks branded.