Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Policy Cellphones topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Holyoke schools to retain local flexibility on Yondr phone-bag procedures; principals to set campus rules
Summary
After reviewing usage and equity implications, the school committee approved a recommendation allowing each high school principal to manage use of Yondr phone bags and related procedures rather than imposing a districtwide single protocol.
The Holyoke School Committee voted Jan. 27 to allow high school principals to continue using Yondr phone bags as each building deems appropriate rather than imposing a single districtwide procedure.
Policy subcommittee members said the two high schools had different operational needs and that data showed no disparate treatment across student groups. "We brought in ... principals and they explained why it’s not a cookie cutter; they want flexibility to use the Yondr bags in a way that best meets their needs," Acting Receiver Anthony Soto reported during the meeting.
Administrators said only a minority of students use the bags regularly, and principals prefer discretion to tailor the approach by campus. Some members noted the devices have a material cost and that district-wide adoption would be expensive; committee members said principals should weigh cost and replacement procedures when deciding how to implement the policy in their buildings.
The committee approved a motion to allow building-level discretion on Yondr implementation. The motion passed unanimously.
