Jefferson County JVS requiring students to lock up phones during class, in accordance with state law

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio (WTRF) — As long as students have had cellphones, teachers have had to deal with a private and easily hidden distraction from the school day.

But Ohio may have come up with a statewide solution to keep kids’ eyes on the lesson at hand.

In May, Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 250 into law, requiring every public school to create an official student cellphone policy.

And while administrators are given wide latitude to create rules for phones, Jefferson County’s Joint Vocational School has a definitive one: they’re locking them up.

During class, students will put them in glass cases installed in each room.

Superintendent Todd Phillipson says staff are still allowed to let students use them if needed as a learning tool.

He says as phone use has become more and more widespread, so has students’ knowledge of the right time to have them out.

“They’re always an issue for a teacher to tell someone to put a cell phone away and that but to say that it’s been a huge problem here, maybe going back when we first had them in the schools. But I think students generally have adjusted to knowing when to put them away.”

Todd Phillipson, Superintendent, Jefferson County JVS

The rules come into place as other Ohio Valley districts like Ohio County Schools want to start the 2024 school year distraction free.

While JVS already has rules in place, your child’s school will only be required to adopt a policy by July 2025 for the next school year.

The law has exceptions for students who need a phone to look after a health concern.

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