LRSD outlines new electronic-device policy; students to use school-held 'Yonder' pouches during the day

The Little Rock School District on July 10 introduced an updated electronic-device policy that would require students to place phones and other Bluetooth-capable devices in a school-supplied pouch (branded in presentation as a "Yonder" pouch) during the school day.

Superintendent Jamal D. Wright said the policy aims to reduce classroom distraction and increase attention and student engagement. Under the plan described to the board, pouches would be stored at school (students would not take pouches home), schools would receive enough pouches for current enrollment plus a small buffer, and families would be notified through the student code of conduct and supplemental materials. Wright said pouches cost $30 each; the district provided an initial buffer supply to schools and the policy includes a provision that students who lose or damage pouches may be responsible for replacement costs.

On enforcement and discipline, staff said the district is not planning routine confiscation of personal devices and avoided that slippery slope because confiscation raises liability and chain-of-custody issues. The draft policy describes a progression of consequences (warning, detention, then — at repeated violations — in-school suspension) but does not specify out-of-school suspension for ordinary device rule violations. Wright and staff said the district prefers education and communication to reach compliance and that principals will lead school-level implementation and parent outreach.

Board members asked for clarifications. Director Strong and others asked whether smartwatches or Bluetooth earbuds would be treated the same; staff said pouches can hold a phone and a watch in many cases but that multiple-device capacity is limited and that principals will handle edge cases. Directors asked about medical or IEP exceptions (for example, devices needed for diabetes monitoring); staff said exemptions would be handled at the school level when medically necessary. Several directors emphasized the need for training and a public-information campaign so families and staff understand how the policy will be applied.

Wright said the policy will be placed in the student code of conduct and that staff would return with final wording; board members asked staff to confirm whether state guidance requires a “big-P” board policy or whether handbook/code inclusion satisfies the statutory requirement. Several directors asked that the district track discipline data by school and demographic subgroup to monitor disparate impacts and to report results to the board.

What happens next: district staff said they will finalize handbook language and return with implementation details, a FAQ and training materials for principals, and will coordinate a parent/community communications push. The board asked staff to confirm legal requirements and produce monthly reports on discipline impacts during the policy's first term of enforcement.