EASTON, MARYLAND — Two school-year changes landed on Talbot County Public Schools families at once. They run on separate clocks.

Phone pouches and the day. The district’s Live Feed says TCPS is implementing a No Cell, Bell to Bell expectation for the 2026-27 school year — ahead of the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act timeline that requires personal-device policies statewide beginning 2027-28. Students lock personal devices in Yondr pouches from arrival until dismissal and keep the pouch with them. Documented medical needs or approved accommodations can use a Velcro pouch instead. Middle schools already piloted pouches: Easton Middle in 2024-25, St. Michaels Middle in 2025-26. WBOC, citing the district, reported the districtwide policy taking effect on the first day of school, Aug. 24.

Consequences, as published with the Live Feed notice and aligned to the Student Code of Conduct: first offense — phone to the office, student pickup at day’s end; second — parent pickup; third — office referral and parent pickup; fourth — office referral and daily office turn-in for the rest of the quarter. Board President Emily Jackson is the named board officer on the Live Feed notice.

Grading is a separate clock. On May 21, 2026, the Talbot County Board of Education passed a new grading policy for grades 6–12, effective with the start of the 2026-27 school year. It replaces the 100-point scale with a modified four-point scale (A/A+ = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, and so on) and ends the prior 50-out-of-100 floor — failed, incomplete, or missing work can score a zero. Formative work may be retaken; summative exams and tests may not, flipping the prior retake rule. The policy passed 5-1 on a motion by Vice President Amy Dodson, seconded by Karla Wieland-Cherry; Ann O’Connor voted no; Deborah Bridges was absent. Board member Cynthia Jurrius sat on the grading committee that recommended the policy.

Pouches and grading share a school year. They do not share one policy document. An Aug. 12 Star Democrat report that a change would take “a couple weeks” described new rules rollout, separate from the pouch start date.