Cellphone crackdown: New policies going into effect in districts across NC

Summer break has just begun, but schools across central and eastern North Carolina are already thinking about ways to keep your children more engaged in the classroom in the fall.

A main focus: Cellphones.

Multiple districts are making changes to their policies ahead of next school year.

>> Why NC schools are restricting cellphones, and how that will affect your school

Most school boards have had cellphone policies for years, but some are taking new approaches to enforcing them, like Harnett County.

Yondr pouches keep phones out of kids' hands

In Harnett County, middle and high school students will have to start putting their phones in locked Yondr pouches at the beginning of the school day.

“I think the pouches are a great idea because it keeps the kids focused on school and not paying attention to their phones,” parent Jennifer Roderick told WRAL News.

Another parent, who did not want to be named, with a middle school student and a high school student required to use Yondr pouches, said, "While I do think the pouches helped to some degree, I feel the threat of suspension if caught on your phone was more the real reason there was a decrease in phone distractions."

The parent believed, "The pouches are an unnecessary expense for the county."

The new initiative requires students to turn their phones off or put them in airplane mode before putting them in the pouches.

“My son doesn't agree, because he wants to keep his cellphone; but as a parent, I think it's great because children need to focus on school when they're in school,” Roderick said.

A message on Triton High School’s Facebook page says the pouches are meant “to reduce distractions and improve focus, engagement and well-being.”

District memos direct parents to call the front office of their child’s school, if they need to reach them.

“By having 24/7 access, we prevent growth opportunities that our children need educationally, socially and developmentally,” the statement continues. “If students text their parents every time they have a question, they miss the opportunity to think for themselves and develop problem-solving skills.”

Other districts, including Chatham and Warren counties, have used the Yondr pouches, as well.

The requirement begins during the 2025-2026 school year.

Some Johnston County teachers balk at phone limits

In a rare move, district leaders in Johnston County passed a policy that puts restrictions on both students and teachers.

While teachers like Jennifer Medlin agree that student usage should be restricted, she has several concerns with the same stipulations being put on staff. She, and other teachers, are urging school board members to revise the new policy.

“In the elementary sector, we are instructing and supervising students at all times. We have our kids from 8:15 to 4:15. We do not have a duty-free lunch,” Medlin told WRAL News. “The wording of this policy is frankly insulting to our professionalism, and calls into question whether or not we, as professionals, can discern what's appropriate in terms of cellphone usage.”

Liann Cheong, who works as a special education teacher in an Extended Content Standards classroom, said she wrote a letter to the Johnston County Board of Education to express her concerns about the district's new phone policy.

"I am in agreement that there should be phone restrictions in place for students but to extend that restriction to teachers is not appropriate, and even poses a great risk to the well-being, health and safety of students and staff," Cheong wrote.

Cheong said she uses her phone in the classroom to collect data, communicate with teacher's assistants, set timers and alarms, communicate with parents, check calendars and for double-factor authentication needed to log in to her district-issued computer.

During a board meeting last week, board vice chair Terry Tippett said teachers should not be on their phone during school, unless it’s an emergency.

“My doctor doesn’t talk on his phone when he’s with me,” Tippett said. “My dentist doesn’t talk on his phone when he’s with me. He’s doing his job with his patients.

“If I speak to an attorney, that attorney doesn’t get on the phone and check his phone when he’s talking to me. He’s doing his job as a professional. If we’re going to talk about teachers as professionals, then we have to understand, we don’t talk on our phone when we’re teaching class.”

Medlin notes the educational purposes for using a teacher to use their cellphone, including district-mandated apps to communicate with families, ease of discretion and communication with other staff about student needs, among other things.

“Ironically, the majority of phone use for us is relative to students. We use apps on our phone that are educational. We use phones to communicate with one another about student-centered issues. We use our phones to set alarms and timers to make sure we send students to related service classes, exceptional children's classes, speech on time,” she said. “We have to use phones to even access Classlink and our curriculum using a Google Authenticator app, we have to use our phones for that. We need our phones to communicate with the school nurse who is not on our campus at all times.”

Cellphones off while in class

Franklin County students can use their phones before or after school; however, it needs to be turned off and not visible in the classroom.

Each school’s administration can decide whether to allow students to use their phones during lunch or passing periods.

“This opportunity is a privilege and not a requirement,” the policy reads.

Board members also added language explicitly prohibiting the use of a cellphone in the bathroom.

“Instances of students using cellphones in restrooms will be considered 'insubordination' based on the Franklin County Schools’ student code of conduct,” according to the policy.

The policy also makes exceptions for multi-factor authentication and notes that smartwatches are generally acceptable.

In Wake County, students must silence and put away their cellphones during the school day.

High schoolers can use their phones during passing periods and lunch time. High school teachers can allow the use of phones for lessons.

Wake County’s first district-wide policy goes into effect in July.