Indiana schools, including Jac-Cen-Del Community Schools, are implementing a new policy restricting the use of personal electronic devices during school hours. The policy, which takes effect in the 2026-2027 school year, requires students to turn off their devices and store them away during the school day, unless they have a medical exception or individualized education plan.

Policy Details

Elementary students will be required to turn their devices off and store them in their backpacks or with a teacher during the day, while junior and senior high school students will need to power their devices down and store them in their lockers from the first bell to the last bell. Students will not be allowed to use personal devices at all during the school day, unless they have a medical exception or individualized education plan that requires a device.

The school piloted a slightly less restrictive version of the policy last year and reported positive results, including an uptick in student communication. "We definitely saw an uptick in student communication," said Jac-Cen-Del Community Schools Superintendent Sam Melton. "Students were getting better at talking to one another or talking to the teacher because there’s just more conversation that goes into that instead of texting away on your phone."

Work-Based Learning Program

Jac-Cen-Del school leaders are also excited to grow a work-based learning program that has shown tremendous success since it began several years ago. The program has partnered with over 70 local and regional businesses, offering workforce training for students in areas like health, automotive, construction, and insurance. "So many different possibilities and really, it’s catered to what those students want," Melton said. "So, if they come to us with an interest and say, this is what I’m really looking at, I want to be a mechanic—let’s go out and start looking at some of our local automotive places or mechanics and see if we can partner with them to get them in there, to start learning some of those trades."

Students participated in 23,000 work hours last year, while earning a paycheck and gaining work experience as they prepare for life after high school. Dozens of students also qualified for Career Scholarship Accounts, a state-funded program that offers $5,000 for students who qualify.

Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.