LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A JCPS high school wants to end the constant cell phone notifications in the classroom.
Fern Creek's pilot program is intended to break students from their cell phone and improve overall morale. From 8:40 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., FCHS becomes a phone-free zone. However, students are allowed to sit at a designated table to use their phones at lunch.
"We all thought it was going to be a really big issue," Jazzlyn Shorter, a junior said.
Shorter feels relieve about the school's new policy.
"It's really easy to get distracted by a phone, even if you're not on your phone yourself," Shorter said.
Sydney Becker, a teacher at Fern Creek, said it has always been a struggle to get students off their phones. According to a survey, 55% of FCHS students admitted their phones were distracting them in class.
"Last year, I was questioning whether this career was sustainable for me because of the constant fight," Becker said.
Cell phone pouch at Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Ky. on Oct. 23, 2024.
The issue got so out of hand, the school's administrators decided to step in. A committee of 18 staff members spent six weeks researching and developing the phone-free policy for the school.
The new policy stipulates that students put their phones inside a pouch that locks at the start of the day. At the end of the day, students can go to any magnetic station throughout campus to unlock their phones.
"It's comfortable," Shorter said. "There's not much a change really."
Shorter keeps her phone locked in her bag. Other students leave their phone in lockers, but either way the school sees it as a win.
"After our first grading term, we see more A's on report cards," said assistant principal Kenneth Christian.
Christian said 110 fewer students are failing a class than this time last school year. It's also now common to see students playing board games or reading at lunch instead of texting.Â
Fern Creek's alumni association donated $35,000 for the pouches. The school didn't get much pushback, with 97% of FCHS staff and 63% of parents supporting the more restrictive phone policy. However, parents were worried about reaching their students during an emergency.
"They all cited school shootings and those types of things," Christian said.
In the event of an evacuation, staff will have portable locking stations. If there's a lockdown or students have to shelter in place, every teacher has medical grade scissors to cut open the pouches.
There are also safeguards for everyday emergencies like forgetting lunch at home or parents bringing equipment to practice.
"We have a direct line that parents can call into, where we get messages to their students immediately," Christian said.
Students are reading during lunchtime at Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Ky. (Photo courtesy of Fern Creek High School)
The change has boosted teacher morale and forced students to socialize better in-person.
"It's improved my mood," Becker said. "The kids are less anxious and in general, it's far more positive environment."Â
A study was done 10 weeks into this pilot program. It revealed 75% of the staff feels more effective at their jobs. Additionally, 66% of students said they're more engaged in the classroom.
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