this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2026
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Kansas Schools Now Collect Phones at the Door – Spends $180K On Smartphone Lockers (www.gadgetreview.com)
submitted 1 day ago by FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
144 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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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[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 8 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

Schools are scared to death of kids recording their staff being stupid, and each other. Legal liability/parental outrage. They block both phones and smart watches. If it were just a usage problem, they could have done what we always do and only take things away when they're an issue.

Since the advent of phones, this hasn't been a real problem.

My son's school collects them at the classroom door if they have them out, or ignores it if they're in their bag as long as they don't make noise. - free

Kansas, who is already horrible at maintaining educational budgets to a self-destructive degree wants to spend 150k of (likely unwilling) taxpayer money to provide fancy lockers for phones that could be solved by leave it in your bag and off, if we find it on or it makes noise, you get detention.

It's a stupid waste or resources and time.

if 0 is the Byrds Turn Turn Turn and 10 is RaTM bulls on parade, maybe go 6 or 7

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

150k is for a single district, statewide they plan to waste millions on this

[–] stormeuh@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

It's likely also plain corruption, just lawmakers creating ways for their friends to siphon money from government budgets with useless gadgets like this.