Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, Park City School District students in grades sixth through 12 will be required to lock their cellphones in magnetic locking pouches during school hours and may only unlock them when exiting the building.
The revised policy is to ensure consistency at the middle and high school grade levels following the implementation of Senate Bill 178, a new law that took effect July 1, prohibiting the use of cell phones and smartwatches in classrooms unless a school district outlines specific exemptions. The policy also aims to reduce distractions and promote a safe, focused learning environment, according to district administrators.
Essentially, it’s an extension of the pilot program that was in place at Treasure Mountain Junior High last year. The eighth and ninth grade students used magnetic locking pouches made by the American company Yondr to keep their phones on-hand, but out of reach during academic hours.
“Behavior incidents went down, and it just felt like a kinder school because students were interacting versus talking about what they may or may not have Snapchatted or saw on social media or what their peer posted,” Huntsman said.
The previous policy at Ecker Hill Middle School was for students to keep their phones out of sight and in their lockers. The high school didn’t have a formal policy because it was up to each teacher to establish rules that kept students’ devices from being a distraction.
Treasure Mountain was closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year, with eighth grades moving into Ecker Hill and freshmen heading to Park City High School. So district administrators decided to refine what they saw as the most successful, cohesive policy already in place aimed at implementing a uniform approach in each of the school’s classrooms.
Huntsman explained that middle and high school students will have two weeks at the start of the school year to learn the rules regarding cellphones and brace for the absence. Then, students will each have a Yondr pouch their phone is locked into during their first period. The pouch will stay with the student it is assigned to throughout the day. It will only be unlocked, using a magnetic key each teacher is equipped with, when the student is leaving the building.
For Ecker Hill students, that’s the entire day. The high school will move to a closed campus in the fall, requiring freshmen and sophomores to stay on the grounds for lunch. Juniors and seniors permitted to leave for lunch will have their Yondr pouches unlocked before they leave the premises to ensure they can contact someone in an emergency. Students are expected to return to school each day with the pouch, though there will be extras on hand for those who forget.
Several high school teachers have said cellphone usage in classrooms is “nonstop” and staff are “battling” students over the policies. Huntsman said the Yondr pouches help take the burden off educators so they can focus on their job: teaching.
District administrators are still having discussions about whether students taking certain electives, such as the Park City Center for Advanced Professional Studies or photography, will be exempt from the prohibition during class. Huntsman said the school district may also consider purchasing a set of iPhones or tablets with restricted uses.
Around 800 students used the pouches at Treasure Mountain Junior High, but there will be a 200% increase in usage by expanding to sixth through 12th grades. Ecker Hill is estimated to have around 1,000 students in the fall, and Park City High School will have just under 1,550.
She recognized that there would likely be “growing pains” for some students who are used to spending more time on their cellular devices, but Huntsman was confident there would be positive results.
The school district is working with the Park City Education Foundation to raise the money to purchase more pouches. Huntsman said they’ve raised around $30,000 of its $60,000 goal as of Thursday. Last year, a private donation covered the cost.
Yondr has also expressed interest in making Park City a “flagship district” because of the successful implementation of the pouches at Treasure Mountain and its desire to expand, according to Huntsman. She said the partnership will help increase accessibility and affordability for the district.
S.B. 178 also applies to grades K-12. Although cellphones aren’t as much of an issue for the younger students, Huntsman said, smartwatches are common. She’s in conversation with each of the primary and elementary school principals to discuss a policy to help teachers manage those devices.
District administrators heard from students, parents and staff through community forums, open house events and a survey held in the spring that they wanted students to be in a safe, distraction-free environment while at school. It’s also part of a broader commitment to cultivating learning environments that are focused, connected and responsive to students’ needs, according to Huntsman.
“We know these devices are rewiring their brains,” she said. “You may just go on social media to look for one thing for two minutes, and next thing you know, you’ve been scrolling for two hours, and those are two hours you can’t get back.”
The school district plans to share a detailed FAQ and a video overview to address common questions in the coming weeks. School administrators are also working together to provide a smooth, supportive transition for families.