Rockdale County schools plan to lock up students' cellphones

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - Some students at Rockdale County Public Schools will lock up their phones beginning this school year, according to the district.

What we know:

All students in pre-K through eighth grade will put their phones, smartwatches, or other 'personal devices' in pouch at the beginning of each school day, according to the district. There will be some exceptions for students who meet certain criteria, but that must go through the child's school.

The new policy was put in place to follow Georgia's Distraction Free Education Act which was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp this year.

The plan cost the district almost $415,000, which will come from E-SPLOST funds, according to the district. 

The district posted a video explaining how the process will work each day.

Each morning, students will turn off and hand their devices over to a staff member who will put them in a Yondr pouch.

After the staff member locks the pouch, they will hand them back to the student to keep.

With 5 minutes left in the school day, students will give the pouch to a staff member to unlock the pouch and get their devices back.

Dig deeper:

If students don't turn over their device or tamper with the pouch, they will receive consequences according to the student handbook, according to the district.

The consequences are:

• First Offense: ​The student will receive a verbal reminder and a warning. The device will be stored in the pouch for the remainder of the day. ​​
• Second Offense: ​A parent or guardian will be notified, and the student may receive consequences as outlined in the Student Discipline Code of Conduct, Board Policy JCDA-R. The device will be stored in the pouch for the remainder of the day. ​​
• Repeated Offenses: ​Further disciplinary action may be taken, including parent meetings, detention, or other measures as outlined in the school’s code of conduct.

If the student damages the pouch, there will be a $33 fee to replace it.  

The full policy, including which specific devices will be put in the pouch, can be found on the district's website.

What they're saying:

"Our classrooms aim to foster an environment where every student can focus, engage, and thrive," said Superintendent Shirley Chesser. "By limiting personal electronic devices during instructional time, the Distraction-Free Education Act allows us to remove barriers to learning and restore the classroom as a place of instruction and connection."

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Fulton County leaders considering banning cell phones, smart devices in schools

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