WOODVILLE, Texas — Woodville Independent School District officials have implemented a new program to keep students off their phones while school is in sessions.
Each middle school and high school student has been given a "Yondr" magnetic pouch to keep their phones out of reach.
The purpose of these pouches are to keep students engaged and learning throughout the day.
Woodville High School Principal Lara Robinson is hoping this small change will make a big difference.
"they are able to focus on connections between the teachers and the students as well to peer to peer interactions instead of being caught up in a digital world," Robinson said.
Woodville ISD officials looked at the benefits these pouches brought to other Texas school districts and that's all it took to get Superintendent Lisa Meysembourg on board.
"We are concerned about their social, emotional, and mental health. We are concerned about their engagement in learning and in class," Meysembourg said.
Each student has their own pouch and each pouch uses magnet technology to keep cell phones locked inside.
The only way to unlock the pouch is by using a device that administrators control.
This new technology cost the district $13,000.
"It's one of those things where people will say that's a lot of money to spend on pouches so kids don't go on their cellphones. Why not make rules? Well, we tried that for two years, it's very hard to enforce that," Meysembourg said.
Assistant Principal Andrew Ireland says the difference so far has been astounding.
"Finally seeing it happening and having meaningful conversations is what really happens. Then you see lunch rooms come alive, it is super exciting," Ireland said.
With these new rule, come consequences.
Any student caught with their phone out will have to pay a $15 fine and repeat offenders will serve days of in-school suspension.
Superintendent Meysembourg says since Wednesday, they have only had two instances where students have broken the rules