MARIETTA, GA — As Governor Brian Kemp prepares to sign statewide legislation banning cell phones in K-8 classrooms, one metro Atlanta district is taking proactive steps to limit phone use at the high school level.

Starting this fall, Marietta High School will implement a new pilot policy requiring students to keep their phones put away during instructional time. The initiative, approved by the Marietta City School Board, expands on a policy already in place at other schools within the district.

Superintendent Dr. Grant Rivera says students will still be allowed to use phones between classes and in the cafeteria. However, classroom use will carry firm consequences.

“At this point, the board would like to give students flexibility to have access to their phones during class changes and in the cafeteria. However, there is this zero-tolerance policy if students are to pull phones out during instructional time,” Rivera said.

Under the new rules, if a student is caught using a phone during class, the device will be confiscated and only returned to a parent or legal guardian.

“If students don’t respect the new expectations of Marietta, then the phone will be immediately confiscated,” Rivera added.

The policy will serve as a trial run for the fall semester, allowing district leaders to evaluate its effectiveness before considering wider implementation.

WSBs Ashley Simmons contributed to this story