Pennsylvania schools must adopt bell-to-bell cellphone bans
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a law requiring Pennsylvania public and private K-12 schools to prohibit student cellphone use throughout the school day, including breaks and lunch, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. Districts will set their own policies, with exceptions for medical needs, disability accommodations, English learners using translation tools, and limited instructional or special-event use. The law covers more than 1.7 million students and passed the legislature with bipartisan support. Shapiro signed it at Central Bucks’ Lenape Middle School, where the district already has a cellphone ban.
Cumberland Valley district plan would shift 1,400 students
Cumberland Valley School District is redrawing elementary and middle school attendance boundaries for the second time in eight years, a plan that would move about 1,400 students to different schools. The district serves the Harrisburg region’s fastest-growing public-school population, and the proposed changes have prompted concern from parents over the scale of the disruption. The redistricting is intended to address enrollment growth and school assignments. The district is reviewing the plan amid community pushback.
Cheltenham reviews policies after football hazing case
A lawyer commissioned by the Cheltenham School District has recommended changes to as many as 25 district policies following an alleged locker-room hazing assault on a 15-year-old last year. Officials said the lawyer’s work was not a formal report, but included recommendations for changes to individual policies that will be reviewed by the school board’s policy committee. District officials were expected to join state lawmakers in announcing a new law making hazing a mandated reportable offense. The review comes as the district faces scrutiny over how it responds to student safety concerns.
Williamsport must use civil-service procedures for senior police appointments
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court ruled that Williamsport violated the Optional City Charter law by not following civil-service procedures when filling police positions above lieutenant. The ruling means the city’s process for appointing its police command staff may need to change. The case focused on how the city selected senior officers, rather than the department’s lower-ranking positions. The decision sets a requirement for the city to follow the charter’s civil-service rules in future appointments.
Mount Carmel Township declares emergency over waste-coal-fire smoke
Mount Carmel Township in Northumberland County declared a disaster emergency after smoke from a waste coal fire near Locust Gap sharply reduced visibility. Township official Brian Hollenbush said conditions Monday morning were so severe that people could not see two feet ahead. The emergency declaration responds to the smoke affecting the township. The fire’s smoke has created a local public-safety concern.
Fayette County inmate sues over alleged jail beating
Robert Stimmell, an inmate who says three Fayette County corrections officers beat him during intake while he was handcuffed and shackled, has sued the county and the officers. The lawsuit says Stimmell was not resisting or combative and suffered injuries including a brain bleed that required hospitalization. It also alleges county officials tolerated a pattern of excessive force and that the intake area where the beating allegedly occurred was outside camera coverage. The district attorney has said two officers were fired and a third was suspended for 10 days.
Pennsylvania libraries receive nearly $250,000 in grants
The Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded nearly $250,000 to 26 libraries through Library Services and Technology Act Action Grants, with individual awards of up to $10,000. Funding supports projects including literacy resources for immigrant and refugee children, Spanish- and Arabic-language collections, workforce and digital-literacy instruction, and early-learning programs. In western Pennsylvania, the Community Library of the Shenango Valley received $8,788 for a StoryWalk at Riverwalk Park, while Cranberry Public Library received $10,000 for Spanish- and Arabic-language materials. The grants are intended to expand services and educational programming tailored to local needs.