New Bedford Schools outline plan to roll out Yondr pouches after middle-school cellphone enforcement showed early gains

New Bedford Public Schools administrators told the school committee they will move forward with plans to implement a “Disconnect to Reconnect” cell‑phone protocol using Yondr pouches in grades 6 through 12 beginning next school year, after presenting early data that stricter enforcement of the district’s existing phone policy corresponded with improvements in student conduct, attendance and some academic measures at the middle‑school level.

Tammy Morgan, a district staff member who led the presentation, said middle schools that tightened enforcement of the 2018 policy — which requires phones to be turned off and out of sight during the school day — have shown “noted progress” on several measures when compared to the same point in last year. Morgan told the committee the district was able to identify about 55 cell‑phone infractions this year at the three middle schools and reported decreases in total conduct incidents, reductions in suspensions at two of the three middle schools,…