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Community speakers urge Salem‑Keizer to divest Student Investment Account funds from Yonder pouches, citing immigrant student safety
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the board the district’s use of Yonder phone pouches — funded from the Student Investment Account — harms immigrant students, and asked the board to redirect funds toward counselors and mental‑health supports.
Several community members and advocacy groups used the public‑comment period at the March 11 board meeting to urge Salem‑Keizer School District to stop using Yonder phone pouches in schools and to reallocate Student Investment Account (SIA) funds to counseling and other student supports.
Maria Young, introduced as a community member, said the pouch program — which she described as costing “$213,000 up to a million” — increases “toxic stress” for immigrant students and cuts off students’ ability to communicate with families or community resources during the school day. "SIA is meant to promote equity and better access to education," Young said, and she asked the board to “divest funds from Yonder pouches and reinvest in resources that promote the well‑being of immigrant students.”
Julian Meza, speaking on behalf of a coalition of Latino community and faith leaders, said the district had invested “nearly $1,000,000” from SIA in the Yonder pouch program and argued the policy creates social and emotional risk for students who may need to contact family or community organizations while at school. Meza said the pouches impede students from reporting immigration‑related incidents to trusted organizations and described the pouches as promoting “punitive education” and daily security procedures that can include searches or removal of personal property.
Other commenters raised similar concerns. Felix May called the pouches an “overly simplistic and ineffective solution” that can worsen mental health for students who rely on communication to stay safe. A speaker identifying as Leo demanded removal of the pouches and referenced broader calls for increased counseling and smaller class sizes.
Speakers not only objected to the pouches but also asked that the district invest more in counselors, therapists and other mental‑health resources. Several commenters said there is little conclusive evidence that cell‑phone pouches improve academic outcomes, and they described potential harms — especially for immigrant students — if communication with family or community organizations is restricted during the school day.
Board chair announced a ten‑minute break at the conclusion of public comment; the board did not take formal action on the pouches during the meeting.
