PAWTUCKET – Students in middle school and high school will be required to lock their phone away starting next year, a practice employed by several nearby districts including Central Falls.
In April, the school board approved a $69,000 to Yondr for its cell phone pouches and locking devices.
As of Aug. 1, every school in the state will be required to institute a policy about use of electronic devices, including cell phones, during the school day. The General Assembly passed a bill last year by Sen. Melissa Murray and Rep. Julie Casimiro instituting the new rules.
Smithfield also moved last month to start using Yondr pouches.
Pawtucket’s policy appears likely to go beyond just locking up phones. According to the district, students deserve learning environments maximizing focus, strengthening relationships, and supporting overall wellbeing through healthier habits and fewer digital distractions.
“Our students deserve learning environments that maximize focus, strengthen relationships and support their overall wellbeing,” said Supt. Randy Buck.
Officials are pledging more focus, more connection, and more learning as a “more consistent approach to personal electronic devices aligned with Rhode Island’s updated statewide expectations” is implemented. More information will be shared throughout the summer, they say.
Central Falls school officials hailed the benefits of their new Yondr pouch system, where students have to place their phones in a locked pouch at the start of the school day, shortly after instituting it in 2023.
