August 14, 2025

New Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Device Requirements for 2025-26

Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, the Independence Local School District will implement new cell phone and personal electronic device policies in alignment with Ohio House Bill 250, passed as part of the Governor’s budget bill. This legislation requires schools to restrict student use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices during instructional hours to promote a focused, respectful, and distraction-free academic environment.

While the core requirements will be consistent districtwide, each school will have a slightly different policy based on the needs of its students and instructional schedule. These policies outline when and where devices may be used, expectations for storage during the day, and consequences for misuse. They also clarify that the district and schools are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged devices.

Why This Change Will Benefit Students

Limiting personal device use during instructional time will:

• Encourage students to be fully engaged in classroom learning.

• Reduce distractions that interfere with academic performance.

• Promote face-to-face interaction and positive relationships among peers.

• Support the development of focus, self-regulation, and respectful communication.

We believe these changes will help create an environment where every student can thrive both academically and socially.

Next Steps

• Building Principals will send their school’s specific policy directly to parents and students.

• Students will review the policy with their principal and teachers on their first day of school.

• For your reference, you can also access each building’s policy here:

Primary School Policy

Middle School Policy

High School Policy

We appreciate your support and partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home. Together, we can help our students make the most of their learning opportunities.

Thank you in advance for helping us ensure a safe, respectful, and distraction-free school environment.

PaySchools Central Now Open - Student Fees Available

We are pleased to share that PaySchools Central—our new online payment platform—is live and ready for use. Student fees for grades K–8 have been added to student accounts as of today.  Athletic pay to participate fees for grades 7-8 will be assessed next week.  

High school fees, including athletic pay to participate fees, will be added after the drop period, which is the Monday following Labor Day, to ensure any schedule changes are finalized.

Accessing PaySchools Central:

1. Visit our district website at www.independence.k12.oh.us

1. Click the “Menu” button at the top of the page.

1. Select the PaySchools Central link at the top.

1. Sign in to your existing PaySchools account or create a new one if you haven’t yet registered.

Once logged in, you can view your child’s assigned fees and submit payment securely online.

If you need step-by-step guidance, click here.

Please remember, you can find your student's ID number when you log into FinalForms.

Thank you for your cooperation during this transition from EZPay to PaySchools Central. We appreciate your continued support in helping us make this process smooth for all families.

Reunification Info for Families

Your child’s safety is our highest priority. As part of our Emergency Operations Plan, please review the following important procedures regarding student reunification in the unlikely event of an emergency:

Reunification Procedures In the event of an emergency that requires evacuation or a secured lockdown, the school will follow its established Reunification Plan. Parents and guardians will be informed through SchoolMessenger, which connects to our student information system, via phone call, email, and text message. Students will only be released once law enforcement or other officials have confirmed that the site is safe.

Reunification Site If students must be picked up off-campus it will be at the Independence Civic Center - located at 6363 Selig Drive, Independence, OH 44131. Directions and arrival instructions will be communicated at that time.

Identification Requirements

Parents/guardians must bring a photo ID to reunite with their child. School personnel or law enforcement will verify identities before releasing students. Students will only be released to their parents or to individuals listed as the student’s emergency contacts. These individuals must also present a valid photo ID, so please ensure your emergency contact information is up to date.



Procedural Staging Areas

The reunification process will be organized into three distinct areas:

• Student staging area (where students will wait securely)
• Parent check-in/ID verification area
• Reunification/release area

Support Services

Counselors and staff will be available at the reunification site to support families in need of assistance during the process.

Post-Incident Review

After any incident, we will conduct a debrief with staff to review what went well and identify improvements for the future.

We appreciate your trust and cooperation. Please ensure your emergency contact information is up-to-date in FinalForms.

If you have questions, feel free to contact T.J. Ebert, Director of Human Resources and Business Operations, at 216-642-5852 or tebert@independence.k12.oh.us.

New Attendance Reporting System - SafeArrival Starting This School Year

Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, Independence Local Schools will transition from TrueCare24 to a new attendance reporting system called SafeArrival. This change is part of our ongoing commitment to student safety and efficiency in our daily attendance procedures.

One of our top priorities is ensuring that every student arrives safely at school every day. SafeArrival will make it easier for parents to report absences in advance and allow our staff to verify attendance quickly, reducing the time spent tracking down unexplained absences and ensuring that all students are accounted for.

With SafeArrival, you are asked to report your child’s absence in advance using any of these three convenient methods:

How to Report an Absence in SafeArrival

You can report your child’s absence in advance using any of these three convenient methods:

1. Using your mobile device, download and install the SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at home.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the app, select Sign Up to create your account. Select Attendance, then Report an Absence.

For your convenience, there also will be a link in the menu of our Independence Local Schools app called “Report an Absence” so all your apps are organized in one place for you.

2. Use the SafeArrival website, home.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use the website, select Sign Up to create your account. Then select Attendance and Report an Absence.

3. Toll-Free Phone Number - Call 1 (888) 906-3890 and follow the prompts to report an absence using the automated system.

These options are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can report absences for future dates at any time. You can also call in to your students' building.

What Happens If You Don’t Report in Advance

If you have not reported your child’s absence before the start of the school day, either in SafeArrival or by calling the building, SafeArrival will automatically contact you through multiple communication methods until a reason is provided. If the system cannot reach you, our school office will follow up.

If you report your child’s absence in advance using the SafeArrival toll-free number, website, or mobile app, you will NOT receive these notifications.

Starting August 21, 2025, please report absences in advance using SafeArrival instead of sending notes or calling/emailing the school.

Starting August 21, 2025, staff will begin using the SafeArrival notifications to let you know if your student is absent (when you haven’t reported the absence in advance).

Building principals will send a reminder to their school communities with the specific attendance reporting details before the first day of school.

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we make this transition. Your use of SafeArrival will help us ensure that every student is accounted for and safe each day.

Transportation

We have seven contracted drivers. You will be able to access your child's bus information by using the My Ride K-12 app. For complete instructions on how to use My Ride K-12, click here.

This system will also allow you to communicate to the transportation department and allow us to communicate with you (ex. bus is running late). You will use your child's school ID number to find their information. If you do not see bus information for your child it is because you did not respond to the email that was sent in May which gave everyone until July 1 to sign up for busing. If this is the case, please email fkane@independence.k12.oh.us and we will add your child to a bus so they can begin riding on September 3. Please check your information right before school starts for any changes.

Special circumstances (shared parenting, daycare, different address from home) or changes must be made directly to the Transportation Office by opening, downloading, and completing the following form (CLICK HERE) 

Questions? Please email fkane@independence.k12.oh.us or call 216-642-5853.

Independence Local Schools

7733 Stone Road

Independence, OH 44131

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