When Great Bend High School students start each day this fall, their cell phones will be turned off and, along with smart watches and ear buds, they will be placed in a lockable pouch that can only be unlocked with a powerful magnet.
GBHS Principal Brock Funke described that plan at Monday’s Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education meeting.
The Kansas Legislature passed a law that prohibits students from having access to personal electronic communication devices. Following the law will require a new policy. Monday’s presentation was a first reading; the final version of the policy will be approved in July.
The district plans to buy Yondr-brand bags and the magnets that unlock them. The magnets fit into bases that can be placed at entrances.
GBHS staff have discussed the plan for months, Funke said. “I don’t want this to be a burden for our teachers,” he said. “We want to make it as simple and straightforward as possible.”
The district will buy 300 pouches. Each student will be assigned a pouch and will be responsible for it – including the $30 replacement cost if they intentionally damage one. The pouches stay with the students.
Students can also check in and out at the office. The policy covers exceptions, such as students who need access to their phones for medical reasons. And board members weighed in on when students should have access to phones on bus trips to activities. Coaches will have some discretion there.
While some saw no phones on buses as a positive to encourage more interaction, others noted that they may want to stay in contact with family or use their phone as a hot spot so they can do homework. This part of the policy will require some fine-tuning.
Funke said the staff looked at several products. “Yondr is the one that kind of stood out to us,” he said, noting they talked to other schools that use the pouches. “If we go with them, they will actually work with us. We’ll have somebody to work with us; we’ll talk about daily routines, logistics.” They will look at traffic flow and maps, and assist with community engagement.
In case of a school lock-down, Funke said it is better if students can’t make calls or send texts until everyone is safe. After an event, the pouches could be unlocked to allow students to contact their families. Students also have access to email on their Chromebooks. School-issued devices are allowed under the new law and every student is issued one. While there may be an increase of students emailing one another instead of texting, he said that is preferable because emails can be monitored by staff.
Superintendent Khris Thexton said he expects the Legislature will be making changes to the law as well. “It was not well-written. There are a lot of contradictions in there and it’s kind of hard to follow.”
