Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wireless Device Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kenton County board defers decision on classroom phone pouches after public pushback
Summary
After public comment and board questions about legality and cost, the Kenton County Board of Education voted to move a decision on purchasing classroom phone pouches to an Aug. 14 workshop so members can review state law and procurement options.
Members of the Kenton County Board of Education voted July 29 to defer a decision on buying classroom phone pouches and related wireless-device implementation until an Aug. 14 meeting after public comment and board scrutiny of procurement and legal issues.
A high school student urged the board to spend on teacher training and incentives rather than hardware, saying greater instructional engagement would address phone-related distractions. Board members also raised concerns about whether the district’s proposed approach matched the district handbook and state law, and whether the public had adequate notice that purchasing was an actionable item rather than a discussion.
Board staff presented three quotes for phone-storage options: a vendor above the $25,000 bid threshold that the district would not consider, a midrange quote (about $18,000) modeled on another county’s system, and a lower-cost option found on Amazon (about $7,000). A staff member said the funds for the purchase could come from internal allocations overseen by a district staffer named Stephanie.
Speaker 1 read aloud language attributed to Tennessee code (Title 49, chapter 6) that would require local education agencies to adopt wireless-device policies prohibiting student device use during instructional time while allowing teacher-authorized, emergency, and IEP/504 exceptions and requiring the policy be published online; the speaker noted the statute takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to the 2025–26 school year.
Board members argued over whether item 3 on the special-call agenda had been posted as discussion or action and whether the board had skipped necessary steps to approve a purchase. One member noted inconsistency in prior implementation of storage requirements across schools, and another cautioned about parents’ ability to receive emergency notifications if devices are inaccessible.
After questions about warranties, classroom logistics (locked cabinets versus student-carried pouches), and liability for damaged devices, the motion to move the purchase discussion to the Aug. 14 meeting passed on a recorded roll-call vote.
The board asked staff to add the full policy language and the cited state statute to the Aug. 14 packet for review and to clarify funding sources and warranty responsibilities before any purchase vote.
