Yondr pouches, now not just for Barnard. Cellphone-restricting pouches are officially headed for all New Haven middle and high schools, now that alders have approved a nearly $371,000 contract with the tech-securing company Yondr.At a full board meeting on Tuesday, alders unanimously voted to authorize an agreement between Yondr, which produces phone-storing pouches that can be locked throughout the school day, and New Haven Public Schools (NHPS).The contract guarantees one pouch per student at every NHPS middle and high school in the city, plus an extra 15 percent as a backup. And it includes Velcro alternatives for medical accommodations, as well as in-person training, virtual resources, storage accessories, and customer service. NHPS will pay a total of $370,936.81 for the pouches out of IT capital funds. In total, the contract will see the district acquire 14,081 Yondr pouches, purchased at $25.50 apiece (plus shipping). The school district has already piloted the use of Yondr pouches for students at King Robinson, Wexler-Grant, Celentano, Bishop Woods, and Barnard middle schools. School and city leaders announced in October that the pouches would be expanded to all K‑8 schools this month, and then to all high schools at the start of the 2025 – 26 school year.Finance Committee Chair and Westville Alder Adam Marchand spoke up in support of the contract on Tuesday, noting that the phone-restricting policy is ​“intended to prevent distractions and harmful interactions and to promote learning.”Alder Adam Marchand advocates for the contract. In a letter to alders supporting the contract, City Chief of Staff Sean Matteson referenced a 2023 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General raising concerns about the effect of social media on kids’ mental health, as well as guidance from the State Department of Education advocating for phone restrictions in schools.“Yondr pouches have been used across the nation, including in Connecticut, where teachers and students have seen promising results,” Matteson wrote. ​“These results have included increased academic achievement, more focus and engagement among students, and fewer fights and instances of student conflict.”Meanwhile, New Haven Academy appears to be the first city high school to adopt Yondr pouches, according to a $11,700-plus purchase order that was included as an information-only item on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Board of Education’s Finance & Operations Committee. On Tuesday, NHPS spokesperson Justin Harmon told the Independent that the district has not yet received the Yondr pouches it’s ordered for the planned expansion this month to all city K‑8 public schools. Read about students’ perspectives on the pouches here, here, here, and here.Maya McFadden contributed to this report.