Students eat lunch post-Yondr pouch implementation. Photo: Jaslinn Johnson
By Nicole Blount, Sanford Schools communication coordinator
and Jordyn Martin, SHS student writer
Sanford students are adapting to the new ban on cell phone use during the school day by finding other ways to keep in touch – including talking face to face, according to reports.
The statewide policy passed by the Legislature last spring took effect on the first day of the 2026-27 school year. It prohibits use of any device with internet access within classrooms for the duration of the school day. Districts across the state created their own implementation plans, with the Sanford schools adopting the use of Yondr pouches to store and magnetically lock away students’ personal devices. Each student in grades 5-12 received their own pouch, which can be unlocked at stations located by the building’s entrances.
Many students had fears when the ban was first announced. The most pressing involved how to communicate with family and friends. Now, students are adapting by emailing friends and family on their school-issued tablets, managing to still keep in contact without getting lost in texting threads or social media scrolling during class time. Staff at the high school have noted an increase in students using the front office phones to call home.
Staff also reported that many students have started going “old school” to adapt to the transition. According to Sanford High School policy, students may use personal listening devices at teacher discretion, provided they function without internet or Bluetooth capabilities. Many have resorted to carrying around iPod nanos or even Walkmans. “It’s like going back to the ’90s,” one staff member commented candidly.
“I definitely notice a lot of differences this year,” stated SHS junior Logan Hamblin. “In the lunchrooms, there’s no one on their phones, a lot more people are talking to each other that usually wouldn’t. … It’s not too much different for me since I always was a chatterbox, but I know a lot of people aren’t, and it’s definitely helped them improve their [sociability].”
Hamblin also stated that he has noticed that unlike last year, there really haven’t been any “phone incidents” in class and believes that the Yondr pouches have been an effective method of keeping students off their phones.
Staff at the middle and high school levels made similar observations. Lindsay Pendleton, assistant principal at Sanford Middle School, said students “have all been really receptive.” Principal Joe Mastraccio agreed, stating that students are working hard to do their part and adhere to the new guidelines. “They’re just excited to be wearing hats this year as a trade-off,” he added, referring to SMS’ new policy allowing students to wear hats during the school day.
Sanford High School teacher Matthew Pascucci has noticed another unexpected result of the Yondr pouch implementation. Rather than observing his students texting each other in class, he has seen them resort to passing around notes. “It may sound strange,” he said, “but we kind of like to see that,” remarking that he has enjoyed teaching students who are more mentally and bodily present this school year.
Pascucci took time at the end of last school year to help his students adjust to the change by reading through the new Maine law and other related research in preparation for the transition. He is one example of teachers joining their students in solidarity by keeping their own phones locked in Yondr pouches during the school day. At first, Pascucci simply did this to help implement the new policy, but “now it’s for me,” he said with a smile. He added that as he has practiced the no-phone policy during the day, his inclination for screens has steadily decreased, even outside of school hours.
“A screen isn’t the first thing I go for,” he stated. SHS Principal Tracy Gibson is likewise keeping her phone away during the day, claiming, “you have to practice what you’re preaching.”
With both students and staff commenting on widespread cooperation regarding the new ban, SHS social worker Melissa Platner offered another perspective. Taking cell phones out of the school day has resulted in less conflict among students for assistant principals and social workers to deal with. “I think some students are relieved by the new policy,” Platner added, noting that while student harassment is an ongoing issue, it looks different now compared to years past. The absence of cell phones allows conflicts to occur more commonly in the presence of staff members and be addressed more quickly.
Administrators from both Sanford Middle School and Sanford High School have been pleased by the support that parents and guardians have shown regarding this transition and are happy to see their students settle into routines of cooperation. While implementation of this policy is a continuous process, the adaptability and resourcefulness of Sanford schools’ students and staff is easing the adjustment to this new Maine law.
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