Principals report improved engagement, lower incidents after Yonder phone pilot; district to craft policy by July

Principals from Northgate and College Park high schools told the Mount Diablo Unified board on Jan. 14 that a district pilot of Yonder — a system to manage student cell phones during the school day — has improved classroom focus and out‑of‑class social interaction while producing mixed tradeoffs.

Kelly Cooper, Northgate principal, and Dr. Ronnie Richardson, College Park principal, said the program began with classroom‑level trials ("phone spas") and moved to schoolwide implementation in some schools. Cooper described greater student engagement and fewer teacher‑student power struggles over phones; Richardson highlighted increases in student conversation and use of wellness centers during lunch.

The principals presented discipline and academic data they said are associated with the pilot. Richardson cited a drop in specific suspension categories and said there were "0 suspension for engaging in bullying" on his campus for the period presented. Cooper presented GPA figures for cohorts at Northgate, saying "their average GPA rose from 3.557 to 3.79" and that 17% of students "raised their GPA by 0.5 or better from spring to fall." Both presenters cautioned that "correlation is not causation" and pointed to other efforts — restorative practices, wellness centers and broader campus culture changes — as contributing factors.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the time periods compared and how results differ by grade level; the principals said freshmen tend to be more receptive while seniors are more resistant and noted efforts to mitigate attempts to circumvent the system. Cooper and Richardson also described operational differences between temporary classroom "spas" and full‑day Yonder pouches, and said the pouches reduced opportunities for theft and avoided classroom shelving problems associated with spas.

The meeting record shows trustees welcomed the positive report and asked staff to continue monitoring implementation. Superintendent Clark told the board that California law requires a district cell‑phone policy by July, which frames the next procedural step.

Next steps: Presentation materials and campus visits were offered by principals; district staff and trustees will continue to review comparative data and prepare a districtwide cell‑phone policy for consideration before the July deadline.