US back-to-school 2025: Major reforms, free meals, and phone bans, and what students need to know

US back-to-school 2025: Colbert County adopts new model and enforces FOCUS Act. (AI Image)

As the 2025–2026 academic year begins across the US, several changes are being introduced in public schools, particularly in Alabama. Students, parents, and staff are returning to classrooms under new rules, structural changes, and benefits that are being implemented statewide and locally.One of the most notable developments is the adoption of a new middle school model in Colbert County, Alabama. In addition, all students enrolled in Colbert County Schools will receive free breakfast and lunch for the entire academic year, supported by the US Department of Agriculture.Sixth-grade transition and classroom reorganisationAccording to WHNT, Colbert County Schools began restructuring in March when the Colbert County Board of Education approved a transition to the “middle school model.” This has resulted in sixth-grade students being grouped with seventh and eighth graders into a dedicated school environment.Nathan Fuller, Superintendent of Colbert County Schools, stated that the objective is to better serve middle school-aged learners. As quoted by WHNT, he said, “They will go into a special school setting that will be for students in grades sixth, seventh, [and] eighth. This provides an opportunity for us to provide a new level of separation between our middle age students and high school.”Fuller also told WHNT that there will be clear physical separation in the school buildings: “We are actually going to have separate classrooms, separate hallways for students in grades sixth [through] eighth, and then we have our ninth [through] 12.”FOCUS Act restricts personal devices in all Alabama public schoolsThe Alabama Legislature has passed the FOCUS Act, which bans the use of wireless communication devices during instructional hours across all Alabama public schools. According to WHNT, this includes mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth earbuds, AirPods, and smart glasses.The devices must be turned off and stored away from the student’s person—such as in a locker or vehicle—from the first bell until dismissal. Two exceptions are allowed:• Devices issued by the school for instructional use• Devices needed for medical purposes or identified in a 504 plan or IEPColbert Heights High School (CHHS) and Colbert Heights Middle School (CHMS) confirmed enforcement of these restrictions. CHMS clarified that doors open at 7:20 a.m., not 7:25 a.m. as previously posted, and students arriving before 7:35 a.m. must report to the gym.Supply requirements and school logisticsCherokee High School has issued a list of required school supplies, which includes:• Large three-ring binder with pockets• Dividers and two 3-prong folders with pockets• Pencils, pens, notebook paper, and graph paper• Coloured pencils, highlighters, and index cards• Two composition notebooks• TI-30XIIS calculatorIn addition, student drivers at Cherokee High School are required to purchase a $20 parking permit for campus parking.Colbert County High School released grade-specific supply lists to accommodate the addition of sixth-grade students. According to the information provided, sixth-grade students are not allowed to use ink pens or wear perfume or cologne, distinguishing their requirements from upper-grade students.Colbert Heights High School and Colbert Heights Elementary School have posted traffic flow changes for student arrival and dismissal. While both middle and high schools will follow the same routes, CHMS has advised parents that if they are dropping off students for both schools, they may do so at either location.What students need to know• Sixth-grade students in Colbert County are now placed in a separate middle school grouping (Grades 6–8), with designated classrooms and hallways.• Mobile phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other personal communication devices must be turned off and stored away during the school day under the FOCUS Act.• Exemptions to the device ban include school-issued devices and approved personal devices required for medical or learning needs.• All students in Colbert County Schools will receive free breakfast and lunch throughout the 2025–2026 academic year, as confirmed by the US Department of Agriculture.• CHMS school doors open at 7:20 a.m. Students arriving before 7:35 a.m. must report directly to the gym.• Cherokee High School supply list includes binders, folders, writing tools, composition books, highlighters, index cards, and a TI-30XIIS calculator.• Student drivers at Cherokee High School must purchase a $20 parking permit.• Colbert County High School sixth-grade students are not permitted to use ink pens or wear perfume/cologne.• Arrival and dismissal traffic routes have been updated at Colbert Heights High and Elementary Schools.These changes, as reported by WHNT, mark significant procedural and structural adjustments for students beginning the new school year across Colbert County and Alabama public schools.

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