Kennedy Plans to Implement Yondr Pouches 25-26 School Year

Photo by RDNE Stock Project

By Bobbi Heidelberg-Tillotson, Amari Douglas, and Malik Shim

Kennedy High School is implementing phone locking pouches in the next 25-26 school year, according to Kennedy High School admin.

Assistant Principal Heather Veasley confirmed that the school is implementing Yondr Pouches following Back to School Night. Safety Officer Jason Berring says he hopes the pouches help prevent fights, bullying, and other safety risks on campus.

According to a staff meeting slideshow obtained by the Clarion, a meeting including all comprehensive high schools in the Sac City District including Burbank, Johnson, Rosemont, McClatchy, Kennedy, and West Campus will occur on June 20th.

It is not clear if the plan to implement the Yondr Pouches is district-wide or just Kennedy. Brian Heap, Chief Communications Officer for SCUSD, said that he would speak with the Clarion, but at the time of writing, he is not aware of the intention to implement district-wide Yondr Pouches.

The Clarion emailed Ms. Veasley on Monday to confirm whether the use of Yondr pouches is a district-wide policy or just specific to JFK, but at the time of writing, she has not replied.

Ms. Veasley said Kennedy is currently unsure who will have the magnets needed to unlock the phone pouches at the end of the day. She also said that students still have access to school phones if their parents need to contact them or vice versa.

The policy on Yondr Pouches responds to California Assembly Bill 3216, a bill passed in August of 2024 and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. 

While the bill requires school districts to develop policies to prevent phone usage during the school day, the California Law also requires school districts develop their own policies with input from students, teachers, and parents. The law does not require these policies to use Yondr Pouches but does allow “enforcement mechanisms that limit access to smartphones.”

Mr. Plotts, a math teacher at John F. Kennedy had used these in his classroom the previous school year. He shared his thoughts on phone use and the Yondr Pouches; “If the phone is out and the student isn't doing well, it should be a discussion between the parents or families."

He believes it's important to teach students how to manage their own devices, saying that kids need to learn "responsibility" when it comes to phone use. 

If teaching responsibility isn’t enough and phones need to be taken away, Plotts said, “Yondr pouches are our best option.” 

However, Mr. Plotts added that the pouches will only work if there is strong leadership and teachers are not stuck using their free time calling home or dealing with phone discipline, which is part of why it didn't work long-term in his own classroom. “It became a point of contention,” he said.