Monongalia County Schools approves cellphone ban for all students

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Monongalia County Schools announced that all of its schools will be “smartphone-free” for the 2024-2025 school year.

Under the new policy that was passed Tuesday night, “all students grades K-12 will be device-free throughout the school day,” according to a flyer shared on the Monongalia County Schools website . It says that the decision was made to “minimize distractions and provide the best learning environment for our students.” The policy will be applied to all grades, and in middle and high schools, the YONDR pouch will be utilized to enforce the smartphone ban.

The information flyer says that each student in grades 6-12 will receive their own YONDR pouch, which is a small bag with a magnetic lock designed to restrict smartphone use while keeping it in the owner’s possession. Students will be required to put their phone in their pouch at the start of the day and keep it in their backpacks throughout the day. At the end of each school day, students will be able to unlock their pouch by tapping it at an unlocking base when they leave school.

Teachers and administrators will be able to unlock pouches in the classroom as needed, according to the flyer.

Each student can personalize their pouch, but the pouch is considered school property, and if lost or destroyed, students will be required to replace their YONDR for $35. Students are expected to use the same pouch for “several years,” according to the flyer.

Elementary school students in grades K-5 will not use a YONDR pouch. Instead, phones will be turned off and stored in their teachers’ classrooms each day.

If a student is caught on their phone, parents will be called and “Administration will follow the progressive discipline policy for insubordination.”

Answers to more frequently asked questions about the YONDR Pouch are available on the flyer or on YONDR’s website .

Ohio County Schools in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle, has enacted a similar smartphone policy but with high school student being allowed to use their phones during lunch and between classes.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.