Manassas Park High School to deploy Yondr phone pouches; board hears implementation plan

Manassas Park City Schools officials announced they have finalized an order with Yondr and will deploy magnetic-locking phone pouches at Manassas Park High School next school year as part of a broader “cell phone–free education” effort.

The school division presented the plan during the board’s meeting, saying the policy will implement “off and away” expectations from bell to bell for students and align the high school with elementary and middle school practice. Student services staff said the regulation JFCRR will be updated to reflect the high school expectations and to add language addressing privacy, permission for photos or videos, and emergency use of devices.

School staff said the district will issue pouches to students, provide unlocking bases at entrances and exits, and perform periodic pouch checks. Administrators said grades 9–11 will be assigned pouches on the first day of school and that staff and parent communication will begin over the summer, including demonstrations at open houses and targeted materials for families. The district has formed an implementation committee of teachers and staff to work through arrival, dismissal and other logistics.

Administrators told the board they will provide accommodations for students who rely on devices for medical monitoring or who have education plans: those pouches will use a Velcro-style closure to allow quicker access. The presenters said office staff and the new dean will provide a secure location to store phones for students who forget pouches; repeated loss or damage may result in replacement costs. Yondr’s materials and vendor guidance were cited for best practices on pouch care and on the recommended cadence for pouch checks.

Board members pressed staff on practical issues, including whether the district piloted the system before full deployment, how pouches are labeled to prevent mix-ups, and how the plan will handle sporting events, concerts or other non‑instructional activities. Student services staff said the policy applies during the school day (when students are on campus from arrival to dismissal) and that activities outside instructional hours would allow use of phones. The regulation will also reiterate existing code-of-conduct provisions that prohibit taking photos or video of others without consent; staff said they will consider drafting clearer examples and procedures for district activities.

Superintendent Dr. Saunders and Student Services staff emphasized exceptions for emergencies and for students with individualized medical needs, and said the district will continue to route parent-student communications through the front office. The presenters said Yondr is not a perfect solution but will reduce day‑to‑day monitoring burden and allow staff to focus on the smaller number of students who violate the rule.

District staff framed the next steps as: finalize and publish the updated regulation, continue committee planning through summer, provide family and student communications and demonstrations, and deploy pouches and unlocking bases during staff orientation and the first student day.