Biddeford committee adopts bell-to-bell cell phone policy and approves Yonder pouches for high school

The Biddeford School Committee voted unanimously to adopt a revised cell phone and other personal electronic devices policy intended to implement the governor’s bell-to-bell ban and approved purchasing Yonder pouches for Biddeford High School, the superintendent said.

Superintendent Jeremy Ray told the committee the policy was developed quickly after passage of provisions in the governor’s budget and that the district’s policy committee and stakeholders worked to make it “as comprehensive as possible.” Ray said the committee would review procedures after implementation and expects to receive feedback at the start of the school year: "I suspect you'll get plenty of feedback around this policy at the beginning of the school year," he said.

The committee also approved a recommendation to buy Yonder pouches for high-school students. Ray described results from a student summit and said the pouches let schools manage phones while keeping devices secure: "This would seems like the best next step for us at the high school level," he said. Committee members discussed logistics including responsibility for damaged pouches, replacement timelines and unlocking stations. A committee member said students would likely be assigned a pouch for multiple years; the district estimated the per-pouch cost to be "close to the $20 mark" and mentioned about $7,000 in state funds and pending grant requests to help cover costs.

Parent Amy Kern, who identified herself as a Ward 5 parent of two Biddeford High School students, said reading the draft eased her anxiety but expressed a practical concern about communications: "As a parent, I'm more concerned for the increase of calls that our office staff is gonna get at the high school," she said, urging wider use of Google Classroom and other tools so office staff are not overwhelmed. Committee members acknowledged those concerns and said they are exploring automated phone systems, coach-led communications and other tools to ease the transition.

Committee members voted to suspend the rules so the updated cell phone policy could take effect on Aug. 1. Officials said building-level procedures will be developed before school opens and the committee will monitor implementation and adjust as necessary.