Students at Alpharetta High, Milton High and Cambridge High can no longer connect personal phones, laptops or smartwatches to school Wi-Fi. Every student must check out a district-issued device for classwork instead.
The restriction is already in effect.
The Alpharetta High School 2026-27 Student-Parent Handbook states that personal devices cannot access the school network and that all students are required to check out a Fulton County device. The policy applies district-wide across Fulton County Schools and took effect when classes began Monday, Aug. 3.
The Wi-Fi lockout is paired with a ban on personal electronic devices during instructional time for all high schoolers under FCS Student Code of Conduct Rule 18f. Phones, smartwatches, tablets and headphones must stay off and out of sight while class is in session.
Device distribution on campus
At Cambridge High, principal Ashley Agans notified families before the first day that the opening week would include device distribution. The school recruited PTSO volunteers to help hand out devices, asking parents in a back-to-school message whether they could spare an hour during the first week to assist with organization and support.
The logistics are significant. Alpharetta High enrolls just over 2,200 students. Milton High has roughly 1,949 and Cambridge about 1,612, meaning the three schools alone needed to distribute devices to nearly 5,800 students in the opening days of class.
Exceptions and state context
Students with medical needs or Individualized Education Program and 504 plan accommodations can still use personal devices when their plans require it, according to the North Atlanta Star.
FCS's move goes further than current state law requires for high schoolers. Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 1009 on May 5, extending Georgia's device ban to grades 9-12, but that expansion does not take effect until the 2027-28 school year. Fulton is enforcing the restriction a full year early at the district level.
The Wi-Fi block itself appears to have been introduced during the 2025-26 school year, according to Atlanta Parent magazine, but the mandatory district-device checkout is the new enforcement mechanism making the policy more visible to families this fall.
What families need to know
- Personal devices cannot access school Wi-Fi at any FCS campus.
- All schoolwork must be completed on a district-issued device checked out to the student.
- Phones, smartwatches and headphones are prohibited during instructional time in grades 9-12.
- Medical and IEP/504 exceptions remain available.
The statewide high school ban under HB 1009 takes full effect in the 2027-28 school year, meaning FCS families are living with the policy a year before most Georgia districts will follow.
