Cellphone Pouches to be Piloted at Schools Across Delaware
Legislators and educators are looking to see whether the removal of distractions from cellphones could help improve results in classrooms.

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The 2021-22 academic year was the hardest for George Read Middle School Principal Nicholas Wolfe, an educator for 17 years. It was the school鈥檚 first full year back since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wolfe recognized that his students were struggling and started researching the effects of cellphones and social media on adolescents鈥 mental health.
鈥淚t was one of those things where it鈥檚 like, I can鈥檛 unknow now what I know, and I need to take action,鈥 he said. 鈥淔rom there, it鈥檚 like, 鈥楢ll right, what are the ways that I can get to a phone-free environment here at George Read Middle School?鈥 鈥
Wolfe has utilized an 鈥渆xpectation and enforcement of the expectation鈥 structure to create a phone-free environment at his school since , but does not have a phone ban. The expectation in George Read Middle School is that phones will not be used because they鈥檙e out of sight, with YONDR phone pouches being the tool to enforce that expectation.
One line item in this year鈥檚 aims to eliminate distractions from phones and social media in classrooms throughout Delaware.
Lawmakers approved $250,000 to test an expansion of such cell-hiding pouches, like those made by tech company YONDR, in other state middle and high schools, along with other measures.
The Delaware Department of Education will be responsible for gathering experts, creating the system for the pilot program and later evaluating it. The department will also create the regulations for the applications districts will use when applying for funding.
State Sen. Eric Buckson (R-Dover), a former educator, voiced strong support for the pilot program and said the inspiration for its creation came from teacher feedback during Teacher Appreciation Days.
鈥淚 asked [teachers], 鈥楬ey, if you were king or queen for a day and could write the rules, what鈥檚 one of the first things that you would do to get better control of the hallways and the classrooms?鈥欌 Buckson said. 鈥淓ither No. 1 or No. 2 on that list is to take the phones.鈥
The Delaware State Education Association, the union that represents state public school teachers, feels encouraged that the General Assembly is listening to educators and trying to find solutions and resources to address issues like behavioral issues in schools, said Taylor Hawk, the director of legislation and political organizing at DSEA.
鈥淭hat is absolutely encouraging, and we definitely see the cellphone pilot as another example of legislators being responsive to issues that they鈥檙e hearing from educators in their districts and we look forward to seeing the results,鈥 Hawk said.
Multiple school districts like the Los Angeles Unified School District or the entirety of Florida, have implemented their own phone pouch policies in schools.
Critics of phone bans in schools 鈥 whether through using pouches or by having a strict 鈥渘o phones鈥 policy 鈥 have raised concerns over how students would be able to contact their families during emergencies, especially in an era of school shootings.
Wolfe has found a middle ground between having students contact their families when needed, and enforcing his phone-free environment.
While every classroom at George Read Middle is equipped with a phone, students can also go to the office and ask an administrator if they can use their phone to call home, Wolfe said. Students must make sure their phone is out of sight before returning to class.
Parents, lawmakers and educators in Delaware are also concerned with the state鈥檚 test scores in recent years. Only 24% of eighth grade students were in math during the 2022-23 school year, and 41% were proficient in English/language arts.
Experts and advocates hope to see better behavior and test scores after the pilot鈥檚 implementation. Studies have found a between media multitasking and attention problems and evidence for potential detrimental long-term effects among early adolescents.
Kenneth Shores, assistant professor at the University of Delaware who specializes in education policy, has also seen adult learners be distracted by their phones during college classes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just like a thing that your mind goes to if you鈥檙e slightly bored or challenged by material,鈥 Shores said. 鈥淩emoving those kinds of easy distractors, I think, is great, because it keeps students engaged on the material.鈥
Not everyone is convinced that phone bans are an easy solution to rectifying behavior and improving test scores.
Removing phones from classrooms will not single-handedly fix the issues within Delaware鈥檚 education system, said Britney Mumford, the executive director of DelawareCAN, an advocacy group that works on public education improvement and equity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to lead to more engagement, and paired with other things, will hopefully improve test scores,鈥 Mumford said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need to treat it as, 鈥極h, we鈥檝e cracked the code, we鈥檝e figured out what the problem is and this is going to solve it.鈥
While Hawk has heard phone policies posed as a possible solution in conversations about behavioral issues in the classroom, it has come up in addition to other solutions like more resources for mental health professionals, she said.
Buckson expects that the DOE will run out of funds before schools鈥 needs for phone pouches are satisfied, and has already had 鈥渁 couple鈥 of schools reach out to him directly.
is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Spotlight Delaware maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor-in-Chief Jacob Owens for questions: jowens@spotlightdelaware.org. Follow Spotlight Delaware on and .
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