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Brockton School Board adopts phone-free policy for grades 7–12 using Yondr pouches
Summary
The board approved a revision to the student handbook making junior and senior high (grades 7–12) phone-free spaces; students will place phones in secure Yondr pouches until the end of the school day, a policy the superintendent said is intended to improve focus and wellbeing.
The Brockton School Board on Aug. 12 approved a revision to the 2024–2025 student handbook that moves grades 7–12 to a "phone-free space" policy. Superintendent Josh Patterson described a system in which students place cell phones into secure Yondr pouches and keep them in the pouch until the end of the school day when the pouches are unlocked. The board approved the handbook revision by a 4-0 vote.
Patterson told trustees he believed the change would improve student focus, time on task, academic performance and social wellbeing. Trustees discussed the proposal before approving the handbook; the motion to adopt the 2024–2025 Student Handbook was made by Trustee Wilfred Lambert and seconded by Trustee Olivia Johnson.
The minutes record the policy change and implementation mechanism but do not specify details such as pouch logistics for special events, discipline procedures for violations, or the timeline for staff training. The minutes reference required MHSA coaches training in a separate athletics update but do not expand the MHSA acronym in the record.
