The Watonga School Board spent a good part of its regular meeting Monday on the bell-tobell phone free school legislation passed by the state during the most recent legislative session. That statute allows the school districts great leeway in creating their own policies about cell phones, earphones and Apple watches.
With exceptions for diabetic students who use their cell phones to monitor their health, students at Watonga Middle and High schools will not be allowed to use their phones during the school day.
The policy enacted will designate a Yondr pouch for each student. When the school day begins, the owner places his or her cellular devices in the pouch and snaps it shut. It is then swiped past a proprietary type of magnet that locks the pouch as they enter the building. The pouch, with the cell phone inside on do not disturb or airplane mode, remains in the custody of the student owner. It will also allow parents to track their students during the day. The pouches can then be stored in the student's backpack.
The process is the reverse at the end of the school day. Students pass their pouches past the magnet and unlock the bag. If a student is leaving school property to go to lunch or is checked out by a parent, they unlock the phone pouch.
And because kids will be kids, an ‘unlock’ magnet will be mounted on the building for afterhours use. In the event of a 9-1-1 emergency the bags can be sliced open with a set of shears.
Middle school principal Ty Hussey who worked with high school principal Lauren Coleman to create the new policy, said, “A kid with a phone in his hand is breaking the rules,” and so would be easy to correct.
The pouches cost about $30 each, but there is a grant available that will pay for close to half the cost. The school will maintain ‘loaner’ pouches for those left at home.
There is also a policy for elementary students, since kids are getting cell phones at younger and younger ages.
An elementary student can place their cell phone in their backpack on airplane mode or do not disturb, allowing parents to track the phone and the child. The backpacks are then placed on hooks at the back of the classroom. They will not be issued pouches.
Again there are exceptions for students who use their phones for monitoring diabetes or other medical conditions.