Board tables electronic-devices policy after public input on phone-lock pouches and funding

The Wyoming Area School District Board of Education on Jan. 21, 2025 tabled the second reading of revised Policy 237, which would formalize use of locked electronic pouches (often called “Yonder Bags” or device pouches) for student cell phones during the school day. Board members said they will accept further public comment before taking final action.

Policy 237 defines electronic devices and describes a locking pouch system in which students would place phones or watches into a secured pouch when they arrive on campus; the pouch can be unlocked during the school day for specific purposes and returned to the student at dismissal. The board voted to table the second reading to allow additional public input and to ensure the policy text is publicly available prior to a future vote.

Public comment at the meeting was divided. A parent who identified herself as Brenda described a history of her daughter using a phone in class and said device pouches improved behavior and reduced fights in other districts: “You take that cell phone away, their grades will go up, their comprehension will come back,” she told the board, and said schools that used pouches saw fewer recorded fights and fewer social-media-driven incidents.

Other commenters opposed spending district funds on the pouches. One resident, speaking during public comment, opposed spending “nearly $40,000” on locked pouches and urged the board to prioritize other facility or academic needs instead. That speaker asked whether grant money could be used for auditorium upgrades or other projects.

District leaders explained how a specific grant source — funding administered through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) — has been used in prior years and how it may be applied. Dr. Pollard said the district has used PCCD funds to offset school resource officer salaries, to support a contracted mental-health crisis worker, and to purchase security equipment such as motorized crash bars on doors and camera upgrades. He said the current PCCD grant rubric includes categories for physical safety and security and for mental-health services, and that once tier-1 needs are addressed a district may apply funds to tier-2 or tier-3 needs. He added that the district does not need to competitively apply for this PCCD allocation, but must complete the annual worksheet that ranks needs by tier.

Board members and administration said the policy and related procurement plans will be posted to the district website before the issue returns to the board; the board confirmed the usual public-comment process will be available when the item is again scheduled for action.