Covington Public Schools parents must go to district office to retrieve child's cell phone

COVINGTON, Ky. - A school policy at Covington Independent Public Schools may subtract from the number of texting and cell phone uses during the school day.

Covington Schools spokeswoman Debra Vance says if a student is caught using a cell phone or texting to friends during the school day, their phone is confiscated.

However, they can't go to the principal's office to retrieve it at the end of the day.

Vance says a student's parent must go to the school district headquarters on 7th Street and pick up the phone for their child.

The stricter policy is in place to hopefully encourage students to focus only on learning throughout the school day.

"I think they're more upset about that because their parent has to get involved. They have to take time out of their day to go down to the office and get their phone," said 12th grader, Meagan Boling.

Teachers say the new policy is working.

"A few years ago, I had more interruptions with their phone ringing in class. Of course then, we know they have them. None of that has happened since the new policy has been instituted," said teacher, Kathy Hilton.

Director of Pupil Personnel, Ken Kippenbrock, says during the first year of the policy, the district collected over 400 cell phones.

He says the parent must sign a receipt that is given to the student in order to have it returned.

"The parent signs the receipt acknowledging that they have been advised to the policy. Most parents are very supportive. They thank us for caring and for taking the phone. I never hear from them again," Kippenbrock said.

Kippenbrock says the majority of the phones were returned to a parent.

He says about 60 phones were never claimed.

They were donated to a Northern Kentucky women's shelter at the end of the school year.