A Yondr cell phone pouch and magnetic unlocking device are demonstrated, in this screenshot taken from a video shown at a recent Dunkirk Board of Education meeting.
Not unexpectedly, Dunkirk High School’s rollout of lockable pouches for smartphones has seen pushback.
“Yondr has certainly been a bit of a challenge,” said Principal Josh Tedone, speaking Tuesday at a Dunkirk Board of Education meeting. “We did not start Yondr on the first day. We worked with the company and decided to utilize the pouches on the second Monday of school, the 16th, so students had a seven day buffer.”
Tedone said there were class meetings to explain the move to the pouches, before they were implemented. “I did not have them focus on Yondr, I tried to have more of a positive feel,” he said.
“I don’t think students were necessarily happy. You know, no one said, ‘Great idea!’ But no student argued with the fact that cell phones are impeding instruction. I don’t think anyone’s ever had a statement that could contradict that.”
Tedone said there were two vandalism issues the first day that the punches were used, but none since.
“I had some students flat out deny using it,” he said. “That’s been a challenge — kind of a line drawn in the sand. We’ve worked from there. We’ve had some parents that were not a fan of the school’s policy about phones, so that was a conversation and a challenge.”
Students must lock their phones in the pouches at the beginning of each school day, and can retrieve the phones at the end of the day. Tedone defended the new policy, stating that it was already offering benefits. “You’re seeing students socializing… students are at the lunch table talking to each other,” he said.
Board President Kenneth Kozlowski wondered if the Yondr punches could be disinfected, citing concerns about contagious diseases.
“I’m sure we could, I’m sure that’s something we probably need to talk about more,” Tedone responded. “I see this evolving.”
The principal concluded, “I really believe if we stick with this, that you will see better test scores and better academics because of this, because those phones are such a deterrent to learning.”