Jersey City Public Schools looking to ban cellphones in class

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (PIX11) — Some pre-teens and teenagers may shudder in panic when seeing their cellphone taken away upon entering school and temporarily locked away in a secure pouch.

“I feel like nobody should have to put their phone up,” said Janelle, a Jersey City high school student.

In Jersey City, New Jersey’s second-largest school district, with 27,000 students, middle school principal Dr. Janeen Maniscalco said she has been entrusted with leading a pilot program to ban cellphones and smart devices during school hours using proprietary Yondr pouches, which are already popular at comedy clubs and concerts.

Several school staffers have a magnetic disc that can unlock the pouch at the end of the day or during an emergency situation.

“Social media, TikTok, Snapchat, we’re trying to improve academic achievement by minimizing any distractions from the classroom,” said Dr. Maniscalco.

But there’s a flip side to this debate. Parents still reeling from last week’s fatal school shooting in Georgia say they want an open and uninterrupted line of communication with their child during that kind of nightmare scenario.

“You can’t get in the school. You don’t know what’s happening. Your kid will call you. Some children are calling to say goodbye, sadly. But this is the world we live in. They need their phones. They need something,” said Jersey City resident Tina Jenkins.

Jersey City School Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez, a 40-year veteran of the district, said that while she understands parents’ concerns, a cellphone ban is built on a sense of trust that the district can keep students safe, during times of calm and during a crisis.

“That concern — it’s real. It’s a reality. Unfortunately, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our students are exposed to so much on the internet. We’re giving it to young people who don’t have the skills yet,” said Dr. Fernandez.

Dr. Fernandez said nothing is written in stone yet regarding what cellphone-banning technology the district uses long term. They are still taking recommendations and looking to see what is available. But she is optimistic that a districtwide ban, which includes high school students, will be in place by year’s end.

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