Community members have spoken out about a new initiative to make high school classrooms a phone-free space during school hours, with one Summit High School student referencing safety concerns in light of the recent school shooting that took place in Georgia Sept. 4. 

Summit High School introduced the Yondr Program, which is aimed at creating a more engaged learning environment by taking phones out of the equation during class time, as a pilot program for the 2024-25 year. 

According to Yondr’s site, the program makes classrooms in session “phone-free zones” and students place their phones in a locked pouch while in class. People can unlock the pouch once they step out of a phone-free zone, according to the site.

Yondr made national headlines last December for the millions it made from all the schools using the program. NBC News reported schools in 41 states have tapped into the program.

Summit School District spokesperson Kerstin Anderson said via email the district believes the program will “contribute significantly to improving student experiences” and that its success has been proven in numerous schools across the globe. 

Principal Doug Blake, who has a near 20-year career in education, said there’s ample research to show phones and social media usage can lead to higher rates anxiety and depression in students. He added the effort is aimed at creating a more positive culture in schools and the decision to make the change wasn’t taken lightly.

Summit High School student Will Dudish made a public comment at a Sept. 5 Summit School District Board of Education meeting about program and student’s lack of access to phones in light of the Apalachee High School shooting.

On Sept. 4, a mass shooting occurred at Apalachee High School near Winder, Georgia that ended up killing two teachers and two students. Text messages between scared students in the building and their parents circulated around national media outlets as many texted their family members they loved them since they were unsure of their fate. 

Dudish shared fears of not being able to reach his family if an emergency situation did arise while in class.

“My last words to my parents may not be seen because I’m not able to type, because I do not have my phone on me, because it is hidden in a pouch,” Dudish said.

Another public commenter, Zach Feldman, echoed Dudish’s sentiment. Sharing as a parent of a student in the school system, Feldman said he feels the ability to have communication with family in those situations is paramount. 

Dudish acknowledged in his public comment he believes phones are an issue at the school that needs to be addressed, yet the Yondr pouches might not be the best way to do that. 

“Demonizing phones will lead to something akin to what I call, and what some others have called, the D.A.R.E. effect … essentially, it’s demonizing something to the point where people want to do it more,” Dudish said, referencing the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program prominent in schools in the 1980s and 1990s.

Feldman said he had already been hearing from kids about how they plan to get around the Yondr pouch and still use their phone.

The district said in the event of an emergency, it wants staff and students to focus on the Standard Response Protocol, which provides a framework and actionable instruction in an evolving emergency. Representatives from the district said unlocking Yondr bags is secondary to following the safety measures laid out in the Standard Response Protocol. 

School board member Chris Guarino and Superintendent Tony Byrd applauded Dudish for his courage speaking publicly on the matter. Byrd asked the room for a moment of silence in commemoration of those who died in the Georgia shooting. 

Guarino said he didn’t disagree with the public comments. 

“I encourage the administration to continue to really examine what we do there, and who knows what the right answer is,” he said, drawing attention to the fact that phones infringing on student’s learning time is something schools across the world are struggling with. 

Byrd said he has been talking with students and has gotten a range of responses, with some appreciating the effort and others reporting missing their phones.

He referenced a community poll in which 80% of respondents favored some sort of cell phone control in the classroom space because they felt it was taking away from learning. 

This is currently not a permanent program at Summit High School and for now is just considered a pilot.