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Date: 3/8/2023
CHICOPEE — After continued success with the YONDR program since its spring 2022 implementation, the School Committee discussed a potential expansion of YONDR pouches into the district’s middle schools during their March 1 meeting.
Background
Chicopee High School Principal Carol Kruser introduced YONDR to the committee in January 2022 as a potential pilot program. Kruser described how schools would utilize the California-based company to provide personal pouches for students to store their phone in during the school day, with a magnetic device on the pouches locking the phones in a protected space.
Kruser considered YONDR a necessity in allowing students to further engage with academics.
“I feel it is my duty as principal to think outside the box. It is clear to that the number one problem preventing my students from engaging in class and progressing in their academics is their addiction to cell phones,” said Kruser during the Jan. 25, 2022 School Committee meeting.
Kruser shared the school initially allowed students to utilize smartphones at lunch time, but cited the coronavirus pandemic and cell phone’s addictive appeals as a driving forces behind students’ newfound fixation to their phones.
“It’s almost the entire school without exception. We are to the point where constantly asking them to get off their phone is similar to constantly asking a smoker to stop smoking when all they want to do is to continue to smoke,” said Kruser, who stressed that the overuse of cellphones has become a national problem.
The School Committee approved a pilot program for Chicopee High School and Chicopee Comprehensive High School in February 2022. YONDR was implemented in both schools in March 2022 following winter vacation.
So far, Kruser and Chicopee Comprehensive High School Principal Andrew Lamothe have noted success with the YONDR program. Both highlighted its effectiveness during their State of the Schools presentation on Jan. 18.
“Everyone’s gotten used to the process at this point,” said Lamothe.
“The engagement in the classroom is so much better and the discipline problems in the classroom are so much better … it’s definitely a positive experience,” said Kruser.
Other school districts, such as Monson, Springfield and Hadley, have since implemented YONDR pouches in some of their high schools.
YONDR update
Ward 8 School Committee member Douglas Girouard introduced the YONDR update as a discussion topic. Girouard inquired on a potential expansion of the program into other Chicopee schools — Bellamy Middle School and 1st Sgt. Kevin A. Dupont Memorial Middle School.
“I wanted to bring this up with the board to see if we should start doing this with our middle schools … do we want to have these pouches in those schools so we can teach the kids at an early age so when they get to high school, they will be used to this policy?” questioned Girouard.
Acting Superintendent Alvin Morton shared that the district’s middle schools implemented a new policy this school year that requires students to secure their phones in their lockers. Morton said the policy has been successful despite some occasional difficulties with enforcement.
“Cell phones are supposed to be in their lockers all day long. Obviously, that is a hard policy to enforce sometimes because they do not put them in their lockers, but I think it’s a better year than last year with the cell phone [usage],” said Morton.
Ward 1 School Committee member Timothy Wagner, who was an initial advocate for YONDR pouches in 2022, supported the expansion of cell phone pouches for the district’s two middle schools.
“At this point, I think it’s worth giving it a serious look for the middle schools … I think if it’s having a positive impact in the high schools, it can have a positive impact in the middle schools as well,” said Wagner.
Morton said the cost to include YONDR pouches in the middle schools would be covered entirely by Title I or Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, which would have no impact on the school’s budget.
“It would not come out of the regular budget,” said Morton.
Morton estimates a cost of $24,000 to $30,000 for implementing YONDR in both middle schools. He shared that there is also a potential opportunity for savings with more schools being integrated into the program.
Chicopee’s Student Advisory Council will also perform a student and staff survey to gain additional insight on the district’s thoughts on the program.
The School Committee will meet again on March 15.