Phones locked away at the high school cut infractions by two-thirds

What happened

Pemberton Township High School began locking every student's phone in an individual Yondr pouch in the first week of September 2025. Students keep the pouch with them and it is unlocked at dismissal. Three months in, the principal reported cell phone infractions down from 519 in the first marking period of the previous year to 150, against about 1,500 for the whole of 2024-25, and harassment, intimidation and bullying reports also down. Teachers said they got instructional time back; students were playing donated board games at lunch instead of looking at phones.

Why it matters to families

This is the biggest change to the school day at the high school in years, and the district's own numbers show it working. One teacher described losing 15 to 20 minutes a day to collecting phones and writing students up, and the principal put the cost of a single in-class phone disruption at about 20 minutes of that student's learning.

The evidence

In the district's November 21, 2025 video message principal Dr. Holly states the infraction counts - roughly 1,500 for all of last school year, exactly 519 in the first marking period of last year, 150 in the first marking period of this year - and says HIB numbers are down compared with the same point last year. Teachers Mrs. Riley and Mr. Aki describe the classroom effect and the rollout on a half-day Friday. A March 27, 2026 video with two students confirms the adjustment seven months in.

The source