Jersey City schools will ban cellphones in classrooms starting October 1. The school board approved the policy unanimously on Thursday. Certain students with disabilities or health issues will be exempt.
Phones can be used during lunch and recess but are not permitted in class or on bathroom breaks. Schools may require devices to be stored in backpacks or provided containers. Phones are required to be turned off or on airplane mode.
The district will not mandate a specific method or vendor for enforcing the cellphone ban. Students caught breaking the rules may have their devices confiscated until the end of the day. Repeated violations could lead to disciplinary action.
At about 27,000 students, Jersey City is the state’s second largest school district. The district includes more than three dozen schools.
The policy enforcement follows a broader debate on phones in the classroom. Across the nation, cellphone usage is being discussed as an active impediment to student learning. Additionally, they can be used for nefarious purposes within classrooms such as recording students, social media and cheating on exams or work.
Earlier this year, Governor Murphy pushed for a classroom cellphone ban, which was met with mixed support. Now, with one of NJ’s largest school districts banning phones, it is only a matter of time before other schools follow suit.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.