As JCPS goes back to school, how does new cellphone policy work?

A new Kentucky law bans all cellphones during the school day.Parents and students have had questions since the law was passed.WLKY spoke with two JCPS high schools to see how they’re enforcing the new law.JCPS officials gave a general guideline to schools, but it is up to each principal to decide how they would implement it.Some will use locked bags, while others will have students turn their phones off for the day.Either way, educators agree this will be a major benefit.”Kids are going to have no choice but to be 100% engaged in class,” said Doss High School principal Julie Chancellor.Students at Doss will have to put their phones into locked cases if they’re caught using them.”The first thing we’re going to ask them to do is put it in a brown paper bag and secure that so they cannot get into that phone. If it happens again, it is going to be locked up in this device,” Chancellor said.She said if a student has their phone locked, they can keep it with them, but they won’t be able to unlock it until the end of the day with a special magnet.”We will be tracking how often this has to happen, and if a student is still having challenges on a day to day basis, then we’ll follow the regular progressive discipline,” Chancellor said.At Central High School, principal Tamela Compton says students won’t have their phones locked up. Instead, they can it with them, but it has to be turned off.If students are caught with it on, they’ll get detention.”We’re really trying to foster this idea that what we do here really transcends into what you will have to do in other common places, especially the workplace,” Compton said.While both principals said majority of students will have no problem with the new law, it’s the parents that have raised the most concern.”What we do ask for parents is to understand what is truly an emergency. If you need to let them know to, you know, drive home today instead of taking the school bus, please call the school instead and we’ll let them know,” Chancellor said.While parents are concerned about reaching their children, most schools do allow students to have their phone with them during the day, it just has to be turned off.Parents with questions about the new law should contact their child’s school directly.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

A new Kentucky law bans all cellphones during the school day.

Parents and students have had questions since the law was passed.

WLKY spoke with two JCPS high schools to see how they’re enforcing the new law.

JCPS officials gave a general guideline to schools, but it is up to each principal to decide how they would implement it.

Some will use locked bags, while others will have students turn their phones off for the day.

Either way, educators agree this will be a major benefit.

“Kids are going to have no choice but to be 100% engaged in class,” said Doss High School principal Julie Chancellor.

Students at Doss will have to put their phones into locked cases if they’re caught using them.

“The first thing we’re going to ask them to do is put it in a brown paper bag and secure that so they cannot get into that phone. If it happens again, it is going to be locked up in this device,” Chancellor said.

She said if a student has their phone locked, they can keep it with them, but they won’t be able to unlock it until the end of the day with a special magnet.

“We will be tracking how often this has to happen, and if a student is still having challenges on a day to day basis, then we’ll follow the regular progressive discipline,” Chancellor said.

At Central High School, principal Tamela Compton says students won’t have their phones locked up. Instead, they can it with them, but it has to be turned off.

If students are caught with it on, they’ll get detention.

“We’re really trying to foster this idea that what we do here really transcends into what you will have to do in other common places, especially the workplace,” Compton said.

While both principals said majority of students will have no problem with the new law, it’s the parents that have raised the most concern.

“What we do ask for parents is to understand what is truly an emergency. If you need to let them know to, you know, drive home today instead of taking the school bus, please call the school instead and we’ll let them know,” Chancellor said.

While parents are concerned about reaching their children, most schools do allow students to have their phone with them during the day, it just has to be turned off.

Parents with questions about the new law should contact their child’s school directly.