Phone pouches expand to nearly all Salem-Keizer high schools
Tens of thousands of local students will be required to lock their phones in pouches at the start of the school day beginning this fall.
Salem-Keizer School District leaders are expanding the use of Yondr pouches to nearly all district high schools and about half of middle schools this year. The pouches are intended to keep phones inaccessible while at school.
Students keep a pouch with them which is locked via a magnetic base when they enter school. It can be unlocked when they leave for the day.
Schools using Yondr pouches for 2025-26
Middle schools: Claggett Creek, Houck, Straub, Stephens, Walker, Whiteaker
High schools: CTEC, McKay, McNary, North, South, Sprague, West
The seven schools that began using the pouches last year will continue, while six more will roll them out in the fall, district spokesman Aaron Harada said.
The expansion means every district high school except for Early College and Roberts, small alternative schools, will deploy the pouches. Last year, just McKay and Sprague high schools used them.
About half of district middle schools will also use them.
The expansion comes after Gov. Tina Kotek’s July order that school districts make phones off-limits during the school day, including during lunch and breaks.
Kotek gave districts until Oct. 31 to comply.
The governor’s order will require a change to the district’s policy, which previously allowed students to use phones during lunch. Individual schools could choose to set stricter rules, with many banning phones for the full school day.
Schools without Yondr pouches will still enforce phone bans.
Yondr pouches have gotten generally positive reviews from administrators and teachers in schools that have used them, while students and parents have been more mixed.
At McKay High School, administrators decided to use the pouches for a second year, saying in a recent message to families that 90% of teachers reported better engagement and focus in class due to the pouches.
“Distractions dropped, students re-engaged with their learning, and we noticed improved academic behavior across campus,” the message said. “Even beyond academics, our staff observed a decline in student aggression and hallway conflict. While we know multiple factors contribute to that kind of improvement, Yondr may have played a role in helping students remain more focused, present and less pulled into digital conflict during the day.”
The message said students returned 85% of the pouches to McKay.
Some parents and students last year raised concerns about the pouches making it difficult to contact students during emergencies during school. School leaders have said parents can call the main school office to be connected to their children.
The most organized pushback against the pouches has come from youth advocacy group Latinos Unidos Siempre, which has organized members to testify at multiple school board meetings, saying students facing heightened fear of immigration raids and deportation proceedings targeting their families need to be able to contact parents during the day.
Principals of other district high schools sent messages to families over the summer announcing the change. Most said pouches would be rolled out during the first weeks of the new school year.
“We know this is a shift, and it might take some getting used to. But we truly believe this is going to help you—help you focus, help you feel more connected and help create the kind of school experience where everyone can thrive,” South’s principal, Tara Romine, said in a message to families. “Our goal isn’t just about removing distractions; it’s about opening up space for stronger relationships, deeper learning and more meaningful moments both in and out of the classroom.”
The cost of the new pouches is about $220,000, Harada said, which will be paid from the district’s Student Investment Account. That’s a state grant that can be used for a variety of purposes, including student health and safety.
That money is on top of about $213,000 spent on pouches last year.
Previous coverage:
Gov. Tina Kotek orders Oregon schools to prohibit students from using cellphones
Six Salem-Keizer schools will roll out pouches to lock up student phones
Salem schools crack down on phone use, with Sprague the latest to issue ban
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers education, economic development and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for over a decade and is a past president of Oregon's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Outside of work, you can often find her gardening or with her nose buried in a book.
