JCPS says students, staff suffer with unrestricted cellphone use in the classroom

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There's a statewide push to keep phones from Kentucky's classrooms.

At Tuesday night's board meeting, Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio said the district started seeing significant issues with phones in 2010. While lawmakers are pushing to ban phones, Polio said there are a lot of factors to consider. That includes disability accommodations, medical conditions and emergency situations.

"It's only gotten harder as more kids have had cellphones," Pollio said.

"When they are disconnected from that device they feel like they are disconnected from the world," JCPS Chief of Schools Robert Moore said.

It's tough for teachers to combat cellphones in the classroom. JCPS already has a policy in place that says they can't be used during instruction time. However, many employees said they didn't know the policy existed.

"What I was seeing as a principal is even my very, very best teachers couldn't hold their attention anymore," said Rebecca Nicholas, principal at Fern Creek High School.

FCHS banned cellphones before the 2024-25 academic year began.

Students put their devices, earbuds, and even smartwatches into lockable pouches at the beginning of the day and don't open them until at least lunch time. Now, nearly half of the students say they're more engaged in learning.

"We have seen academic gains," Nicholas said. "Fewer failures, higher GPAs and more engagement in class. We had more books checked out in the first two weeks of the school year than we had the entire school year prior."

Reading at lunch FCHS.jpeg — Students are reading during lunchtime at Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Ky. (*Photo courtesy of Fern Creek High School*)

While FCHS didn't get much pushback, some parents were worried about reaching their students in an emergency.

In the event of an evacuation, staff have portable unlocking stations. Every teacher also has medical-grade scissors to cut open the pouches during a lockdown.

"We know you want to be able to communicate with your kids," Nicholas said. "But if we're just talking safety, we promise you they're safer this way."

Polio said implementing these pouches across the district would cost millions.

"I'm not saying we can't do this," he said. "We'd just have to find $3 million to cut somewhere else."

JCPS' efforts are part of a statewide push to put phones away during the school day.

Some Kentucky lawmakers are in favor of House Bill 208. It includes exemptions for emergencies and those who need their phones for health reasons, including apps to help students manage their diabetes.

"Every piece of data points that this has to be fixed," said Taylor Everett, a Jefferson County School Board. "We cannot bend on this, in my opinion."

Pollio said creating an updated cellphone policy isn't the hard part. Instead, it's getting everyone across the district on-board with the plan. The school board hopes to have recommendations by the end of the school year.

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