Georgia schools participating in cellphone lock up pilot program says discipline issues are down

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Students at a local high school say most of them are adjusting well to a pilot program where they have to place their cellphones in locked pouches throughout the day. But they say some of their classmates are finding ways to get inside the pouches.

Ten DeKalb County schools are participating in a pilot program where students place their cellphones in a Yonder pouch until the school day is over. Channel 2′s Tom Jones spoke to students and staff at MLK Jr. High School about how they are adjusting to not having their phones.

“I felt like in the beginning I wanted to protest. I was like, ‘Oh no, I ain’t trying to do this,’” Taveon Henderson said.

But after using the pouches since after Labor Day, Taveon says it’s not so bad.

“It’s life. I’m not gonna die because I don’t have my phone,” he said.

Not all of his classmates feel the same way, according to student Christopher Body.

“They are trying to break into the pouches. By slamming it on the table,” he said.

Despite that, Principal Mike Alexander says students are adjusting very well to the pouches.

“A lot of the feedback is it’s going pretty good. I see more engagement in the classroom,” he said.

School leaders say engagement is up. And discipline issues are down.

Dr. Darnell Logan says administrators and staff on every floor have portable unlocking mechanisms in case of an emergency. But he says the pouches won’t be unlocked until after the threat is over.

“The last thing we want to do is have phones ringing when there could possibly be an intruder in the building,” he said.

We were there as Principal Alexander announced raffle numbers over the school’s loud speaker. “Ticket number 9251.”

The school is using incentives like raffle tickets to get students to use of the pouches. “Please report to the main office to receive your $25 gift card,” Alexander said.

He says the school is giving away $500 worth of gift cards on this day to impress upon students the need to use the pouches.

Some students say some of their classmates love their phones so much, incentives might not help.

“A lot of them are addicted to their phones. but without the phone it teaches them not to rely on their phones,” student Neveah Turner said.

The school district says about 85% of students put their phones in the pouches. The rest hide them in their backpacks or pockets. Another incentive is if students don’t have their Yonder pouch, they can’t get into the pep rally.