Georgia Schools Are Opening Under New Rules. Here Is What Changes

Georgia students are returning to classrooms under a growing list of state mandates. 

Some changes will be immediately visible. Elementary and middle school students will have to put away their phones for the entire school day. Schools must also have new emergency-alert systems and updated campus maps. 

Other changes will happen behind the scenes. Elementary schools will gain access to literacy-coach funding. Districts will prepare more advanced math opportunities. State officials will increase scrutiny of teacher-preparation programs and school finances. 

Gov. Brian Kemp said the laws are meant to create safer classrooms while improving academic outcomes. 

“Our classrooms must be safe learning environments that serve as launching pads for success in the workforce,” Kemp said while signing the 2026 education package. 

Georgia’s School Cellphone Ban Takes Effect 

Georgia’s bell-to-bell cellphone restriction now applies to public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Personal phones, smartwatches and other connected devices must remain inaccessible from the beginning of the school day through dismissal. 

Local districts will decide how devices are stored and what happens when students violate the policy. Schools may use backpacks, lockers, secure containers or locking pouches. Exceptions are allowed for medical needs, disability accommodations and certain emergencies. 

Supporters say the restrictions will reduce distractions, bullying and excessive screen use. State Sen. Jason Anavitarte called the measure about more than grades. 

“This bill isn’t just about academics, it’s about students’ well-being,” Anavitarte said during the legislative debate. 

Parents have also raised concerns about reaching their children during emergencies. Districts will need to explain how families should communicate with schools when students cannot access their phones. 

A separate law expands the restriction to high school students, but districts do not have to implement that change until the 2027–28 school year. 

Schools Add New Emergency Tools 

Public schools must also strengthen their emergency-response systems under a safety law passed after the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School. 

The law requires wearable panic buttons for school employees, updated digital campus maps and faster communication between schools and law enforcement. Police must notify schools when they learn that a student has threatened violence, and student records must transfer more quickly when children move between districts. 

Richard Aspinwall, whose son Ricky was one of the teachers killed at Apalachee, said the changes could help other families avoid the same loss. 

“I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this,” Aspinwall said. “It’s got to stop.” 

The law also requires each district to have someone responsible for coordinating mental-health services for students. But technology alone will not determine whether the changes work. Schools, police, mental-health agencies and families will have to share information quickly. 

Georgia Invests in Early Reading 

The Georgia Early Literacy Act creates a grant program designed to place literacy coaches in public elementary schools. It also expands kindergarten options, provides more resources for teachers and creates a statewide literacy plan. 

The investment comes as roughly two-thirds of Georgia third graders are reading below grade level. Schools gained access to literacy-coach funding in July, although the law does not set one deadline requiring every elementary school to hire a coach. 

Kemp said early reading skills shape everything that follows. 

“If young learners fail to learn how to read at the start of their educational careers, they’ll struggle to read to learn during the rest of their academic journeys,” he said. 

Advanced Math and Political Clubs Expand 

The Math Matters Act requires Georgia to establish standards for advanced middle- and high-school math courses. Districts must create pathways allowing qualified students to begin higher-level math earlier. The law took effect July 1. 

Another law protects students who want to organize political or philosophical clubs. Schools that allow other noncurricular organizations cannot reject eligible groups simply because their views are partisan or controversial. 

The first few weeks of school will show whether these laws create real change or simply add new rules to an already crowded system. Phones may disappear from classrooms. Panic buttons may shorten emergency response times. Literacy coaches may help struggling readers catch up. But none of it will work without enough funding, trained staff and consistent enforcement across districts.