LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools is reviewing its cell phone policy in response to a new Kentucky law that limits mobile phone use during instructional time.
The Jefferson County Board of Education will decide on proposed changes to bring the district into compliance with the legislation. The law, passed earlier this year, requires all school boards across the state to adopt policies that prohibit the use of cell phones during classroom instruction.
After a long discussion during its meeting Tuesday evening, the board voted to table a vote on a new policy until its next meeting May 13.
A state law, passed earlier this year, requires all school boards across the state to adopt policies that prohibit the use of cell phones during classroom instruction.
JCPS Board Member James Craig said the district’s current policy was made during a time that no longer reflects today’s classroom realities.
“We need to have fresh eyes on this,” Craig said. “It was implemented at a time when cell phone use was not what it is today.”
Under the proposed changes, cell phone use would be banned during instructional time. However, individual schools would have authority to determine how the policy is implemented, with input from students, teachers and parents.
“It requires individual schools to convene committees of students and teachers to discuss a policy that could have buy-in throughout the entire building,” Craig said.
The district also would develop protocols for monitoring and compliance, including systems to audit the policy’s effectiveness.
“How will the policy be audited? How will the implementation of it be tracked?” Craig said. “What is the data that we will have at the end of the 2025-2026 school year that the school board can point to to say it was a success?”
The district’s internal audit division will conduct both a mid-year and end-of-year review in the 2025-26 school year to assess policy implementation, track student phone use, and evaluate the impact on behavior and learning.
Exceptions will be made for emergencies, medical needs with physician documentation, or accommodations required by federal disability laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Students at Louisville Male High School said phone use has become increasingly disruptive in the classroom.
“In our first few years, they were really strict on it and it worked,” said senior Cheyenne Goomey. “If you had your phone out, you got in trouble for it. That’s just not the case anymore.”
Fellow senior Kayleigh Peak described classrooms where students wear headphones and AirPods throughout entire lessons.
“Nobody’s paying attention at all,” Peak said.
Both students said they hope schools opt for stricter enforcement.
“At the end of the day, I look around and no one’s learning anything anymore,” Goomey said. “It’s a completely different environment.”
According to the draft policy, if a student violates the rules, an administrator may confiscate the phone. In some cases, the incident could be reported to the district’s police department.
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