FORT SMITH, Ark. — At a board meeting on July 22, Fort Smith Public Schools announced a pilot program aimed at creating phone-free environments at schools in the district.
Starting in the upcoming 2024-25 school year, Kimmons Middle School and Ramsey Middle School will use Yondr pouches to securely store students' phones and electronics during the school day.
"There's a lot of research tying some mental health issues and some lack of engagement to actual screen time on phones and devices," Fort Smith Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Martin Mahan said. “The governor has recently spoken to several superintendents across the state about an initiative around mental health and looking at how we might be able to lessen access to devices during the school day."
Mahan said the pouches will be funded mostly by a grant from the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Some funds will also come from the district.
According to Mahan, the district previously enforced a phone-free environment, but he said it was difficult to enforce during passing periods and cafeteria time. He said the pilot will allow school leaders to see if this new solution enhances engagement with students in the classroom.
Since the district does not have the pouches yet, Mahan said students from the pilot schools will first secure their cell phones in their backpacks for the first nine weeks and then transition into using the Yondr pouches.
"At the beginning of the day, students will put their phone, their earbuds, and their smartwatches in the pouch, and it will lock," Mahan said. "At the end of the day, they'll have access to a magnet that will unlock the pouch."
According to Mahan, students will also be responsible for bringing the pouches to and from school.
Mahan said he and the rest of the district look forward to seeing the results of the pilot program. He hopes to see social and educational improvements as a result of the new initiative.
"We have a real hope that the kids will be less tied to the screen and more tied to each other, that it will improve social interactions, and improve the ability to communicate with each other face to face," Mahan said.
For parents concerned about reaching their child during the school day, Mahan said the district will provide school office numbers for them to call.
Additionally, for students who may have health issues that need monitoring, Velcro pouches will be available to access the phone without the pouch locking.
If students need to leave the school early, Mahan said they will have access to unlock the pouch.
While the two schools figure out final logistics regarding the pouches, Mahan said this is an initial step in curbing some concerns regarding student mental health and attentiveness in the classroom.
"Hoping to see more engaged instruction time with students, the ability for students to focus more on the here and now and what's happening in class, and also a level of engagement with social interaction with students to get more closely related with each other," Mahan said. "Also, improved outcomes on assessments and learning data, so there's a whole host of things we'll look at."
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