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Kansas Schools Now Collect Phones at the Door – Spends $180K On Smartphone Lockers (www.gadgetreview.com)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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At least one Kansas district is projecting $150,000 to $180,000 just to equip secondary students with individual phone lockers, according to the Wichita Eagle. The state provided zero dedicated funding. Every dollar comes from local budgets.

Districts choosing fabric locking pouches — think Yondr, the magnetic-lock system concert venues use to keep audiences present — face an estimated $30 per unit. Statewide, the Kansas Division of the Budget put that figure at roughly $13.4 million if every student received one, according to the Lawrence KS Times. Lockers require a steeper upfront investment. Neither option came with a state check attached.

Legislators passed the policy. The price tag was someone else’s problem.

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[–] 11 points 1 month ago (5 children)

I don’t see why this doesn’t work anymore. Do parents have no control over their kids anymore?

I think you just answered your own question.

Clearly we've reached the stage of physically taking and locking their phones up during school hours because verbal threats weren't working. If parents had control of what their kids were doing when not in close proximity to them, this wouldn't be happening.

Lot of dumb adults out there these days. I think a lot of parents would be on the "but I need to contact them in case of emergencies" and "you're threatening my child's rights" boat if they just floated the idea of suspension for phone use. So now we're at the physically confiscate them upon entering like contraband stage.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 month ago* (1 child)

    I need to contact them in case of an emergency doesn't mean the phone is out. Also the only emergency that matters is if the kid is in danger and needs to call someone. If Dad falls down a flight of stairs and breaks his neck you either A, go pick the kid up from school or B tell him when he gets out of school. The kid isn't a paramedic.

    Also kids don't have rights at school. That's why they have the ability to search all their lockers, backpacks, and vehicles without a warrant.

    There is no law that says you have a right to have your phone in your hand, or it would be illegal to seperate us from them to go through metal detectors and such at airports, courts, etc

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago

    An emergency means the kids needs to call 911 not the parents need to contact the student. Most schools have a phone/intercom in each classroom which is close enough though. (Back in my day we did have to use this once when something happened, the teacher dealt with the main issue and assigned a student to push the button to alert the office. I wasn't in that class so I don't recall details)

    If dad has hours to live you call the school office - you will need to sign them out anyway so they need to know. (plus they need to know because the school has counselors trained dealing with emotional issues like this who need to be at that school when the kid returns).

    Which is to say I can think of no reason a kid needs a phone during class hours. They are sometimes useful after school hours.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 month ago (2 children)

    So what do you do if the kid doesn't lock up their phone at the start of the day and has it in class?

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