By Tyler Sullivan
EAGLE TIMES CORRESPONDENT
CLAREMONT, NH — The discussion of Stevens High School’s new cellphone policy, which requires students and staff to lock the devices away during the school day, was the top topic of discussion during Tuesday’s Claremont School Board Meeting.
During the meeting, Stevens High School Principal Christopher Pratt commended his school’s administration and staff for the successful school opening and implementing its first-in-the-state policy.
Stevens High School is the first school in New Hampshire to use Yondr pouches, which lock away cell phones but allow students to continue to carry them. Yondr gave the school district $11,000 for the successful implementation of policy. There are stations in the school’s lobby to allow students to lock and unlock the pouches as they arrive at the school and leave, and three portable tools administrators can carry with them.
Students who leave campus to attend class at the Tech Center or for an open lunch or study hall can unlock the pouches when they go and re-lock the pouches when they return.
Students are having amazing face-to-face conversations in the lunchroom and both students and staff seem to be happy with the policy, Pratt said.
Pratt admitted safety is a huge concern in the implementation of the policy.
“Phones can really put us at odds,” Pratt said, noting students communicating with family members could bring more people into the area during a dangerous situation and intruders hearing a phone go off can more easily locate students.
Pratt said students have told him classrooms are now less distracting and disruptive.
Superintendent Michael Tempesta supported Pratt’s statements.
The board asked Pratt to return at the end of the school year to see if there is any academic improvement within the school.
Pratt also talked about the success of the new American Sign Language class. He noted that the enrollment in the ASL classes are nearly full with seven sections of the class for the first quarter.
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