RICHARDSON (WBAP/KLIF) – Richardson ISD Interim Superintendent Tabitha Branum and high school and junior high principals are proposing an updated policy and guidelines for cellphone use among district students in grades 7-12.
“Cellphone use among RISD secondary students during the school day has become a major issue, especially in recent years,” said Branum. “Phone use among students, and the ongoing classroom distractions and disciplinary issues that accompany it, are causing more and more school districts to re-evaluate student cellphone use during the school day. In RISD, our teachers, principals, and other employees who work directly with our older students have seen the ongoing distraction and lack of engagement among many students during instructional time due to phones. We’ve also experienced a wide variety of disciplinary issues that are the product of student smartphone use during the school day, including student altercations, cyberbullying, prohibited activity, photos and videos in violation of other student’s privacy rights, and social media posts or texts that result in safety concerns on campuses.”
According to RISD, student cellphone use was the number one problem RISD secondary teachers cited in an end-of-year teacher survey, and was also cited as problematic both in the RISD parent survey and in the community feedback provided during the recent superintendent search process.
At the August 11 Board meeting, an updated policy will be proposed that bans cellphone use among secondary students during the school day.
The updated policy approaches enforcement in a new way, according to Branum. After secondary principals studied ideas over the summer, RISD will be asking trustees to invest in magnet-locked cellphone bags from a company called Yondr. Under the proposal, every RISD secondary student with a cellphone would be issued a Yondr Pouch. If a student has a phone, every day when entering school, students turn it off and place it in the Yondr Pouch, which prevents it from being used. At dismissal each day, students would be able to unlock the Yondr Pouch at numerous unlocking stations throughout the school and begin using the phone.
Some parents are worried about how the policy will impact their communication with their child during the school day.
“Parents would still be able to communicate with their student as needed during the school day,” read a statement from the district. “Each RISD secondary student is issued a Chromebook for use throughout each day, and every student is assigned a district email account that is readily accessible.”
In the event of a school emergency such as a lockdown, the district said staff will be able to unlock Yondr bags when it is safe, allowing students to connect with parents to let them know they are okay.
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