MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) – Monongalia County Schools will be transitioning to a smartphone-free learning environment for the 2024-2025 school year.
District officials said all students in kindergarten through 12th grade will be device-free throughout the day.
Students in grades 6 through 12 will lock their smartphones in a YONDR pouch, and elementary students will turn off their devices and store them in their classroom during the day.
A YONDR is a device that locks the phone inside a pouch with a magnet. As students enter school, they place their phone in their assigned pouch, close it and secure it, keeping it on them throughout the day. When leaving school, students tap their pouch on a base to retrieve their phone, officials said.
Each student in grades 6 through 12 will receive a pouch that will be theirs for several years and may be personalized. However, officials said if it is destroyed or lost, a new pouch must be purchased for $35.
Teachers and administrators can also unlock pouches as needed for classroom use, officials said.
Officials said this system will help minimize distraction and provide the best learning environment for students, as research has shown that constant phone use and social media are having a significant effect on students’ mental, social and emotional health.
Additionally, officials are assuring parents that students can still be contacted throughout the day through each school’s main office, if necessary.
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