The same type of pouches that concert or comedy show guests are required to store their phones in, are being tested as a way to curb digital device use in Harnett County Schools.
The district is testing the use of Yondr pouches, which lock once a device is placed inside. Students would be able to bring their phones to school and keep possession the entire time, but wouldn't be able to access the device until the end of the school day.
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Two schools - Western Harnett High and Highland Middle - will be testing the pouches starting Feb. 3. Students will be required to turn their phones off or onto Airplane mode before putting their device into a Yondr pouch provided by the school.
The Yondr pouches will also be required for any devices that potentially connect to Bluetooth - including smartwatches and earbuds.
A letter sent to parents of West Harnett High students explaining the program was shared with WRAL. In it school leaders outline the program and why they chose it.
"We believe that phones have great utility. We have also found that learning and student mental health improve drastically when students are fully present with their teachers and classmates," the letter reads.
The Yondr pouches lock via magnets and can be unlocked at a demagnetizing station as students exit the school building.
Students would be required to bring their pouches each day with their phones. If they forget the pouch, they will be required to turn in their phones at the front office until the end of the school day.
If a Yondr pouch is damaged, there will be a $35 fee to replace it.
In a slideshow presentation to school board members, Yondr quoted school leaders from across the country, who praised the program saying that "discipline issues" were down and students were talking to one another again. The Yondr program is being used in thousands of schools, across 35 countries, according to the company's website.
Some parents are concerned over the new policy, noting that they don't think phones are too big a distraction.
For parent Donna Huston it's all about safety.
"The last thing I want to have happen is there be a violent act and then there be no way for my daughter to call 911," Huston said.
In their letter to parents, Harnett County Schools said in the event of an emergency, parents can reach their children “by calling the school and speaking to our receptionist”
Huston argues that’s likely to lead some to go around the new rules.
"We don’t want to hide phones from teachers and the administrative people, but we’re really worried about what this could do if there were an emergency," she said.