Chelsea High implements Yondr pouches; principal reports early classroom engagement gains
Loading...
Summary
Interim CHS Principal Alan Boscley described the district's rollout of Yondr phone pouches, enforcement steps for violations and early anecdotal improvements in classroom engagement and reductions in hallway incidents; the committee asked for continued tracking and quantitative data.
Chelsea High School's interim principal, Alan Boscley, told the school committee that the district's cell-phone/electronics-free policy, implemented in December 2024 and rolled out this fall, uses lockable Yondr pouches and an unlock-magnet system at dismissal.
Boscley described how students are asked to power off devices, place them in Yondr pouches on arrival and unlock them with a magnet at the end of the day. He detailed enforcement steps for violations: a first offense requires a 2:45 p.m. pick-up, a second offense a 3:30 p.m. pick-up, and a third offense requires parent pick-up. Damaged pouches carry a replacement cost of $30, he said.
Boscley said staff report immediate classroom changes: fewer students in hallways, fewer physical altercations and increased engagement. "I think it's been fantastic. Average grades in my US 1 class have gone from around a 60 to around an 80," Boscley said, quoting a history teacher he spoke with about early results. He also summarized student comments that the policy helped focus class time while acknowledging concerns from some students and parents about perceived personal safety and the desire for instant family contact.
Committee members asked for more quantitative follow-up. One member requested comparative data showing changes in grades and incident reports between last year and this year; Boscley and others agreed to return with more formal metrics later in the year.
What happens next: staff plan to monitor consistency of enforcement across the full 180-day year and to present follow-up data to the committee later in the school year.
