Two major developments at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) have been announced this week, including plans to lift the cellphone ban this fall and a massive solar energy project in the works involving hundreds of schools.

In a meeting that ran into the early morning Thursday, the board voted unanimously to allow kids to use their gadgets in school so long as they don’t cause disruptions.

“TDSB policies and procedures will be amended to allow individual teachers to determine the use of personal electronic devices during classroom teaching and learning,” the board said in a release issued early Thursday. “Their use by students outside the classroom will be permitted provided it does not distract from student learning or school activities.”

The cellphone ban was imposed in 2007 due to fears the devices would cause disruptions in classrooms.

“Trustees approved a motion clarifying the appropriate in-school use of PDAs, smart phones and similar electronic devices by students, recognizing the evolving nature of such technology, its value as a tool to enhance student learning and support curriculum delivery, as well as the growing role it plays in social communication,” the board said.

And the board is expected to release more details Thursday on a solar energy project that's said to be the largest of its kind in North America.

The TDSB has struck a reported $445 million deal with Mississauga’s AMP Solar.

Taxpayers won’t have to provide any of the cash because the solar panel company will foot the bill. The revenue generated by the power the panels provide -- enough to power some 6,000 homes -- will be split between AMP and the board, according to a report in the Toronto Star Thursday.

And the board gets $120 million worth of roof repairs as part of the deal.

The panels will be installed over the next 20 years.