PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The updated cell phone regulations continue to show progress at Pittsfield schools.

There were 416 log entries for violations towards the end of September while in September 2023, there were almost 1,000. This is attributed to a recently updated policy that imposes clear consequences for unauthorized cell phone use.

"Unless something really bad happens in the next four days with cell phone Armageddon, we're probably going to be well under, in terms of log entries, where we were last year at this time," Matthew Bishop, interim assistant superintendent of instruction, assessment, education, and engagement, said.

"Which is just encouraging."

He delivered a regular update to the School Committee on cell phone infractions last week. The updated policy begins with documentation of the cell phone infraction and by the fourth, the student is assigned Restorative In-School Education (RISE,) and a caregiver must pick up the device.

A tiered cell phone policy was accepted last summer and after more than 6,300 infractions occurred in the subsequent school year, administrators went back to the drawing board.

"I think it's worth reiterating every time we talk about this that we haven't changed the policy," Bishop said.

"The policy still says cell phones have always not been allowed as it's outlined in our policy manual. It’s our response to violations of the policy that we have sort of tinkered with over time here."

Of last month’s entries, 414 of them were at the secondary level, meaning middle and high school.  Bishop reported that it is "very rare" in elementary schools.

Grades 7 and 8 are the highest offenders and there are the most infractions on Wednesdays. One student was assigned out-of-school suspension.