Cell Phones Aren’t the Only Thing Banned in Polk County Schools This Year

Polk County students who show up wearing smart glasses this school year will be confiscated, and the student won’t be the one getting them back after school.

Superintendent Frederick Heid notified families Aug. 13 that students may not possess or wear Meta/Ray-Ban/Google smart glasses or similar wearable recording and communication devices during the school day. The district said it has seen an increase in students bringing the glasses to campus.

The restriction covers any wearable capable of recording, photographing, livestreaming, transmitting or remotely monitoring without the people nearby knowing. Students who wear one will be told to remove it, the device will be confiscated and secured by administration, and it will be released only to a parent or guardian, not the student.

Repeat violations, unauthorized recording, cheating or harassment carry additional discipline, and potentially unlawful activity gets referred to law enforcement.

Recording in restrooms, locker rooms and changing areas is specifically prohibited.

Students with an IEP, Section 504 plan or health plan authorizing a wearable device are excepted, and the district asked parents to clear those needs with school administration first.

The move builds on the state’s current cell phone rules. Under House Bill 1105, signed in 2025, elementary and middle school students cannot use wireless devices at any point during the school day. High schoolers remain barred from using them during instructional time unless a teacher directs it.

Polk is not alone. The Pinellas County School Board added wearable recording devices to its 2026-27 code of conduct in July, and Hillsborough adopted the same change in the spring.

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Sources: “Important Notice Regarding Smart Glasses and Wearable Electronic Devices,” Polk County Public Schools, polkschoolsfl.com, Aug. 13, 2026; 2026-27 Code of Student Conduct, Polk County Public Schools, polkschoolsfl.com; School Board Policy 5136 – Wireless Communication Devices and Policy 5771 – Search and Seizure, School Board of Polk County, go.boarddocs.com; House Bill 1105 (2025), The Florida Senate, flsenate.gov; “Pinellas Schools Crack Down on E-bikes, Smart Accessories,” Government Technology, govtech.com, July 15, 2026; “Smart glasses could soon be banned in Hillsborough County schools,” WUSF, wusf.org, April 2, 2026.