JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 A Jacksonville mom is reporting issues with the district\u2019s new bus tracker app after her middle school-aged son arrived home three hours late on the first day of school. <\/p>\n
That communication issue was made worse by a decision to have her son leave his phone at home.<\/p>\n
Although it\u2019s not required, Nicole Short\u2019s son did not take his cell phone to school in response to Florida\u2019s new statewide ban on cell phone use in schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was like, \u2018Okay dude, it\u2019s the first day of school. Let\u2019s leave the phone at home. Let\u2019s follow the rules,\u2019\u201d Short said. \u201cAnd I feel like it kind of bit us in the rear.\u201d<\/p>\n
[DOWNLOAD: <\/b>Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks<\/b><\/a>]<\/b><\/p>\n While phones are not banned in Florida schools, they are expected to be stored off and away from the student during the school day, like in a backpack. According to the Code of Student Conduct, an exception is made for bus riders during emergencies, such as an accident or a 30-minute or more delay.<\/p>\n According to Short, her son was able to call from another student\u2019s phone more than an hour into the delay, telling her he was still far from home. Even then, she says it took another two hours before he arrived at the library where she was waiting.<\/p>\n Short says she used the district\u2019s bus tracker app but found no updates on the location of her son\u2019s bus or how late it would be.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s worrisome. I don\u2019t know where our kids are,\u201d she said. \u201cHow come there\u2019s been no communication from the school district or the transportation department on why this specific bus\u2014or multiple buses\u2014haven\u2019t arrived yet?\u201d<\/p>\n Now, she says, the experience has her rethinking whether her son should have more access to his phone.<\/p>\n \u201cWith all of the child abduction rates and sex trafficking, especially in a big city\u2026you don\u2019t want them to have a cell phone, but then you take our kids and we don\u2019t know where they\u2019re at,\u201d Short said.<\/p>\n Action News Jax reached out to Duval County Public Schools to ask why the bus was delayed. We have yet to hear back.<\/p>\n