Central Unified board hears plan for districtwide phone‑free days using Yonder pouches and lockboxes

Central Unified administrators presented a proposal to adopt a districtwide phone‑free policy that would require students to store mobile devices in assigned Yonder pouches (secondary schools) or in signal‑blocking lockboxes (elementary schools) during the instructional day.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lopez told the board the district tested vendors and recommends Yonder’s pouch system and Generation Far lockboxes for elementary sites. She said the pouch purchase would be largely one‑time (students keep pouches) and quoted an initial pouch deployment cost of roughly $318,000; she said recurring replacement needs are expected to be about 10 percent of that amount annually. Lockboxes for elementary classrooms were presented as a one‑time purchase and described as signal‑blocking units for younger students.

Dr. Lopez said the district will pair the devices with an SOP, parent outreach and classroom lessons created with vendor support: “They would create a presentation for every school that matches that SOP with all these visuals,” she said, adding the district will host parent events and summer distribution days so families can see and take home pouches before school starts.

Administrators outlined safeguards and day‑to‑day logistics: loaner pouches for students who forget or lose theirs; documentation of frequent loaner use to identify lost pouches; unlocking bases installed at exits and at secured locations so staff can release devices at dismissal; and an exception process for classroom lessons or student leaders who need temporary access. Dr. Lopez said the policy will be supported with social‑emotional learning interventions and a progressive discipline guideline to address repeated noncompliance.

Trustees pressed for additional assurances and evidence. Vice President Sellers asked how often districts running the program saw magnets or other methods used to circumvent pouches; Dr. Lopez said the district selected pouches and locking technology that other districts reported were harder to open and planned to incorporate guidance about the risks of using magnets on phones. Trustee Kirk asked how the district will manage lost pouches and whether teachers would be expected to police student phones; Dr. Lopez said the district will provide loaners, keep records of repeat incidents and work with families on replacement costs.

Several trustees asked for measurable outcomes and a staged implementation. Trustee Nandep Singh asked which metrics the district will track; Dr. Lopez proposed tracking discipline incidents tied to social‑media posting and fights posted online, student behavior referrals, and academic indicators over time. Trustees recommended considering a phased rollout (for example, elementary first, then secondary) and requested supplemental information and vendor follow‑up before the item returns for board action.

The board did not take a vote on the policy; administrators said the proposal will return to the board for action after additional vendor follow‑up, implementation details, and agreed metrics are provided.