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Jackson Public Schools weighs stricter electronic-device rules after teachers, counselors urge districtwide consistency
Summary
Teachers, a counselor and administrators urged Jackson Public schools to adopt and consistently enforce a stricter Scholar Use of Electronic Devices policy (JCBAAA). The board’s attorney answered legal and liability questions; board members asked for wider parent outreach before a vote.
Jackson Public School District board members reviewed a proposed revision to policy JCBAAA, Scholar Use of Electronic Devices, after multiple teachers, a school counselor and administrators urged stronger and more consistent enforcement across the district.
The policy, presented by school district counsel Attorney Harris, would expand restrictions on students’ use of cell phones, headphones and other personal devices during instructional hours and introduce an escalated series of confiscation periods as primary consequences for repeated violations. Attorney Harris told the board the district can legally confiscate devices under a board-approved policy and that the policy would include exceptions for documented medical needs.
The proposal drew detailed public comment. Asia Floyd, a professional school counselor with Jackson Public Schools, told the board she supported the policy because phones “completely remove students from the learning experience” and can escalate confusion during emergencies. Tamika Battle, a college and career readiness teacher at Callaway High School, said the challenge is inconsistent enforcement across schools and asked whether teachers would be supported when parents push back on consequences.
An assistant principal who spoke after teachers said phone-related communication has led students to plan fights and other disruptions, and described administrators spending instructional time managing the fallout from social-media posts and texts.
Attorney Harris gave the board district data on device-related incidents, saying that in the 2024–25 school year staff documented 40 violations of the electronic-device guidance, 10 incidents of cyberbullying tied to phones, 26 cases of misuse including cheating and classroom disruptions, and 45 group fights involving roughly 146 scholars linked to social-media conflicts. He said the administration favors confiscation over suspension as the primary deterrent but left open other sanctions such as conferences or loss of privileges.
The administration also described concerns about phones on buses, saying that driver safety and recorded incidents of harassment justified a continued restriction on use during transportation. Harris said the proposed progressive confiscation periods (5, 10 and 45 days) are “reasonably related” to preventing repeated violations and that the district’s data and principal and scholar advisory groups supported stronger, consistent consequences.
Board members did not vote on the policy at the June meeting. Several members urged broader outreach before any final action. Board Member Mrs. Thompson and Board Member Mr. Figgers said the board should seek additional parent input and public comment sessions because the policy represents a significant cultural change in schools. Superintendent Dr. Eric Green and other board members acknowledged the difficulty of implementation and the likelihood of vocal opposition but said the current level of phone-related disruption is unsustainable.
The board directed administrators to undertake additional engagement with families and advisory groups and to return with refined language and outreach results at a future meeting. No final vote or adoption occurred at this session.
