JPS committee moves to stricter scholar electronic-device policy; phones to be kept in backpacks, fines removed

The Jackson Public School District Policy Review Committee on June 10 reviewed proposed amendments to the Scholar Use of Electronic Devices policy that would broaden the devices covered and substantially tighten where and how scholars may possess and use them.

A staff member presenting the draft said the policy would expand the covered list to “headphones, AirPods, smartwatches, smart glasses” and other modern devices and would make clear that cell phones “should be stored in a scholar's backpack.” The draft would bar scholars from carrying phones on their person (for example, in pockets or socks), prohibit use and visible possession of phones on school buses and across school campus areas (classrooms, restrooms, gym, auditorium) and retain a limited carve-out for documented medical necessities with prior written authorization kept on file at the school.

Under the proposed infractions, the presenter said the district would remove the prior option for parents to pay a fine to retrieve a confiscated device. Instead, confiscation would be time-based: a first infraction would result in a five-day hold of the device, a second infraction a 10-day hold and a third (and repeat) infraction a 45-day hold. The draft also states that a scholar who refuses to surrender a device when asked would face a separate disciplinary infraction under the scholar code of conduct, in addition to the device-in-possession consequence. The policy retains a liability waiver saying the district is not responsible for loss, damage or theft of confiscated devices and includes a specific exception for assistive technology or translation tools required by an approved accommodation plan.

During the discussion, board member Mister McGuffey asked, “Why don't we just ban them?” A committee participant responded that the draft comes as close as possible to an outright ban while preserving carve-outs for emergencies, accommodations and certain student responsibilities (for example, students with workplace responsibilities or extracurricular activities who need to notify family about travel). The staff presenter said the administration intends to direct scholars to use school-issued devices for instructional work and to avoid routing instructional activity through personal phones.

Committee members raised clarifying points the presenter agreed to address before the policy goes to the full board: add a clear definitions section to make a single term (for example, “personal electronic device”) cover the listed items; clarify timing and the “intake” point (when students arrive at school or through metal detectors) so bus riders and walk-ins understand when devices must be secured; separate sections dealing with bus riders versus on-campus possession; and remove any language that would unintentionally limit the policy’s general prohibition (for example, avoid wording that implies only certain uses are infractions when possession alone is prohibited). The presenter also said language that previously allowed teacher-directed instructional use of personal devices had been removed from the draft.

Staff said they have conducted internal administrative review and plan to collect student voices before the policy reaches the full board. The draft does not create a new fine-based retrieval process, citing equity concerns for families with limited resources. No formal vote was recorded in the transcript; committee members asked staff to incorporate the clarifications and return the revised draft.