Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears plan to buy magnetically sealed phone pouches for grades 6–12 using grant funds
Summary
Superintendent proposed purchasing Yonder Pouches for grades 6–12 (estimated cost about $56,000) to keep phones unusable during school hours; administrators proposed an October rollout and outlined exceptions and operational plans.
The Gloversville superintendent told the board the administration is proposing to buy magnetically sealed phone pouches (marketed as Yonder Pouches) for grades 6–12 with grant money and roll them out in buildings this fall. The packet estimates "approximately $56,000" to cover the district’s grades 6–12 population. "Electronic devices are a huge distraction, a huge disruptive force in our schools," the superintendent said, arguing the pouches would reduce classroom disruptions and improve engagement.
Administration said pouches would be carried on students’ persons and could be demagnetized at designated stations at dismissal so students leave with their phones; some districts send pouches home, others keep them, and Gloversville’s plan is to retain the pouches at school and return phones at the end of the day. Administrators said medical and accessibility exceptions would be handled with Velcro-style pouches for students who need phone access for health reasons and that supervised unlocking would be available when needed.
Board members and staff raised operational questions: whether stations would be manned at dismissal, who would unlock pouches, how sanitation and numbering would be handled, and how coaches and parents would be notified about changes to communication norms. Administration proposed communications (letters, videos) to families and building-level protocols and set an initial rollout target between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15. The superintendent cited external implementation statistics included in the packet and referenced state-level attention to device policies.
Administrators requested the board’s support to proceed; several board members voiced support during the discussion but also noted the community response would likely be mixed and that follow-up communication and protocols would be essential.
