Dear Ridgefield Families,
As a School Board, we value the input of our students, as well as our staff, families, and community members. In preparing for a revised policy and procedure to address the use of personal electronic devices during the school day, including cell phones, we investigated current practices, policies in a number of districts, and research on the impact of internet-enabled devices on youth.
We believe it is important that all constituents, including our students, have all of the relevant information. In addition to feedback we received last year on the RHS pilot program, a group of middle and high school teachers presented to our School Board in June 2025. Staff shared the impact of reduced phone use and research they had reviewed, and asked the Board to take an even stronger stance on limiting cell phone use by students during the school day. As a Board, we continued to discuss this issue over the summer. A community-wide survey was published and communicated through multiple channels. We received over 1,200 responses, from students, staff, parents, and community members. The survey data was shared at a public board meeting in early August. We had multiple public discussions as a Board on this topic, and the revised policy we recently adopted aligned to the majority recommendation from the community survey.
YONDR pouches are a tool to assist students and staff in implementing the "off and away, all day" policy. Pouches will be barcoded and checked out to students, like a textbook. Students will be responsible to lock up their own device at the start of the school day, and will be able to keep their locked phone with them throughout the entire school day. If a student needs to contact their family, they will be able to utilize a phone in the office, or in cases of an emergency, in their classroom. When leaving campus, students will be able to unlock their own device at multiple stations throughout campus. The process takes less than 10 seconds, and we are confident students will be able to have an on-time and convenient departure from school.
Concerns about the cost and safety of the devices were considered before updating our policy. Use of the YONDR pouches is a minimal investment, paid for by one-time MSOC (materials, supplies, and operating costs) funds provided by the legislature last spring. Overall, the cost per year to implement the YONDR pouches is less than 0.025% of our annual district budget. Statements that we have lost staff, cut extracurriculars, and have students in makeshift classrooms are not accurate. We encourage students to learn more about our school district budget at https://www.ridgefieldsd.org/page/finance.
Regarding safety, our staff reported students more quickly and quietly followed safety protocols with the limited phone use in place last year. We believe the YONDR pouches will not inhibit this effort. We have also invested in the Centegix system, and all staff have safety badges to alert school and emergency personnel of their location during any serious incident.
We do not yet know if the pouches will be effective, but our reasoned judgment is that they will improve the student experience overall. We care deeply about the opinions of our students, families, and staff, and we welcome our students to participate in Board meetings, attend Board outreach events, and get involved in leadership at their respective schools. We ask that our students implement the revised policy and procedure before passing judgment, and we will welcome their feedback after an appropriate implementation period. We understand this isn't a popular decision for our current high school students, however, as a Board, we believe it is an appropriate and important step in supporting academic engagement and addressing the mental health epidemic facing our community's youth.
Sincerely,
Brett Jones, Board President