MCPSD1 Superintendent sees success in new student phone policy
Steve Hallstrom
Special to The Farmer
McKenzie County Public School District No. 1 Superintendent Dr. Steve Holen says with the school year drawing to a close, he can now officially proclaim the new student phone policy a success.
The district implemented a change to student cell phone access when the school year began. Students in middle school and high school are now required to place phones in a sleeve called the Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. The sleeve is secured and unlocked with magnetic locking devices at several access points throughout the school building.
The district’s goal was to reduce the distractions that staff and teachers saw during classes, and also ease the students’ anxiety they believe is caused by continuous notifications and peer comments. Holen says response has been nearly unanimous among faculty and staff.
“We really are happy with it. We had to see it for a good year. And there weren’t a lot of models out there; I don’t think there were any districts in North Dakota that were using it. But overall, it’s really hard to find a lot of negatives. We knew there were going to be innovative students that could find a way around it, to get that pouch open and so forth. Certainly, we’ve had a few of those incidents, but not mass numbers. And I think we’re just finding that it’s something that is manageable.”
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