Phone-Free Campuses Update

I'd like to provide you with an update on our phone-free school initiative that began this fall. As you may recall, the decision to implement this plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in June after thorough research highlighting the many benefits of a phone-free school environment, including improved student engagement, better concentration, and enhanced mental health.

Our 1st nine-week grading period ended on Oct. 10, and we are seeing some positive trendlines that I’d like to share with you.

• Compared to last year’s course failure rate in the 1st nine-week grading period – our students had 600 less failures this year.

• Discipline referrals for September and October are down almost 27% compared to the same months last year.

• An observation from a staff member survey found that, “Students are engaging in actual talk during lunch instead of being glued to their cell phone screens. I’ve also noticed less bullying happening online through social media with their phones being put away during the school day.”

It's still early in our implementation, but I'm hopeful to see the trends continue in positive directions.

I also want to take a moment to give credit and a heartfelt THANK YOU to all our campus staff, students and parents. KISD’s strength lies in our partnership and shared desire to do what’s best for our students.

I stand firmly in my belief that KISD students deserve a learning environment where they can fully engage their minds and build meaningful relationships with their teachers and each other without digital distractions. I am proud that Killeen ISD is leading the way in Central Texas to create this environment.

Warm regards,

Jo Ann Fey, Ed.D.

Superintendent