Amsterdam school district to go phone-free

The school will be doing this using Yondr pouches that students can place their phones, smartwatches, and earbuds into at the start of the day.

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Greater Amsterdam School District has announced that it will implement phone-free classrooms in grades six through 12. This is due to staff reporting distracted and disengaged students in the classroom when they have access to cell phones.

The school will be doing this using Yondr pouches that students can place their phones, smartwatches, and earbuds into at the start of the day. The Yondr pouch works with a magnetized lock that must be opened using an unlocking base.

The school will distribute a Yondr pouch to all middle school and high school students in the second week of September with full implementation of the policy on September 30. The students will carry their phones with them throughout the school day but cannot access them due to the Yondr pouch.

Any parent who needs to get in contact with their child in the event of an emergency can do so by calling the main office. Students will also have access to their phones in the main office if they need to contact their parents.