Montclair authorities recently announced that the district will implement a new pilot program at four schools after classes resume after summer break. The goal? To make classrooms “phone-free” during classes.

The program was scheduled to take place at Buzz Aldrin Middle School, Glenfield Middle School, Renaissance Middle School and Montclair High School. But with the first day of school approaching for students, it appears the district’s children and teens have been given a temporary respite — for now.

Acting Superintendent Damen Cooper said the plan is being postponed to allow for further discussion and feedback from parents – and to present a plan for the district’s other schools.

“We need to have more conversations and make sure all schools have an implementation plan to make this successful,” Cooper said at the Montclair Board of Education meeting on August 12.

According to Ponds, the district wanted to partner on this experiment with the private company Yondr, which offers similar services to other school districts (as well as concert halls and other public spaces).

Here’s how it works, according to the company’s website:

• ARRIVAL – “When you enter the phone-free area, your phone will be placed in a Yondr bag.”
• SECURE – “As soon as you are in the phone-free area, the bag is locked. You keep your phone with you at all times.”
• OPEN – “To use your phone at any time, exit the phone-free zone and tap your bag on an unlocking station.”

“District leadership, along with building administration and staff, has reviewed the research findings and is working on options for implementing this pilot project,” Ponds wrote, adding that the Board of Education’s policy committee is evaluating the district’s cell phone policies for grades K-12.

According to the school district’s website, the use and activation of cell phones and other electronic devices for “non-instructional reasons” during school hours is currently prohibited in Montclair Public Schools.

Permission to use and/or activate may be granted by the classroom teacher on a case-by-case basis. Devices not in use must be muted and “kept safe and out of sight.” Devices used and/or activated in violation of school district policy may be confiscated.

The district’s policy continues:

“The School District recognizes that technology is constantly changing and that due to increased accessibility to technology, many students have technological devices that they can use outside of school hours. These BYOD devices may be of use to students during school hours for approved educational purposes. The use of BYOD by a student in the educational program during the school day must be approved by the student’s parent or guardian and the school’s instructional staff responsible for supervising and/or delivering the student’s instructional program. A faculty member may approve a student’s use of BYOD based on the student’s assigned task. The faculty member may also prohibit the use of BYOD for an assignment. Any use of BYOD by a student must be in strict accordance with the faculty member’s specific authorization and the School District’s policies and regulations. Any violation will result in appropriate disciplinary and/or grading action for the student, and the violating BYOD devices may be confiscated.”

It’s not just school districts that are using Yondr to go “phone free.”

When Bob Dylan performed a show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark last year, he took the stage with one restriction: the use of phones, smartwatches and accessories was not allowed in the performance area.

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