This year as students at Martinsville Junior-Senior High walk into their first-period classes each morning, there’s a new ritual that now sits alongside the Pledge of Allegiance and morning announcements: phone check-in. By the time the bell rings, every device is locked away in a secure case, out of sight and out of mind for the rest of the school day.

For Principal Todd Evers, who took the reins this summer, the policy is more than just a rule. It’s a culture shift. “You walk into a classroom now and everybody’s looking forward, not down,” he said. “That’s a big change.”

The Policy and the Implementation

The decision was made by the school board and Superintendent Bob Waggoner before Evers was even hired. Rather than rely on students keeping phones in pockets or backpacks, the district invested in NuKase lockable phone units. Each morning, students place their phones inside a shatterproof case that locks with a magnetic key only staff can open. The cases go into Rubbermaid totes, which are then collected on a cart and stored in the office until checkout.

High schoolers with open campus lunch privileges retrieve their phones at midday, then recheck them when they return. For everyone else, the next chance to see a screen is after the final bell. “It’s not complicated,” Evers explained. “Thirty seconds of inconvenience at the start and end of the day, and you’re free to focus on learning in between.”

The reasons are well-documented: distraction, cyberbullying, and lost instructional time. “Phones were pulling kids out of the moment,” Evers said. “Now they’re engaged—with teachers, with each other, with their work.”

Parents were initially cautious, some worried about losing immediate access to their children. But the administration was proactive, holding meetings, circulating detailed plans, and gathering feedback before rollout. “We got overwhelming support,” Evers said. “Most parents told us, ‘We think this is best.’”

For emergencies, the school reminds families of the way things once worked: call the office. “We’ve reverted back to the ’90s,” Evers said with a grin. “If you need to reach your kid, call us. We’ll bring them to the phone.”

Early Results are Promising

Three weeks into the school year, the data is striking. Attendance is up three points over the same time last year, now at 95 percent. The number of students on the ineligible list for grades is one-third of what it was a year ago. Seniors themselves told Evers that the biggest difference was simple: “We don’t have phones in our hands. We’re paying attention. We’re getting our work done.”

The change is visible beyond the classroom. At pep rallies, where phones once dotted the bleachers, Evers has witnessed total engagement. “I’ve never seen it before,” he said. “Everybody watching, cheering, supporting, no one staring at a screen. It’s electric.”

Of course, the temptation remains. What about decoy phones or students sneaking devices into backpacks? “You don’t know until you catch it,” Evers admitted. The first violation leads to confiscation and a parent contact. Repeated offenses add detentions and eventually require parent meetings.

But compliance has been high—so high, in fact, that some students self-report when they forget to check their phones in. “That’s Martinsville,” Evers said. “These kids are raised to follow the rules, and they don’t think it’s fair if somebody else doesn’t.”

Benefits Beyond the Classroom

The benefits extend to skills that don’t show up on standardized tests. Evers has noticed improved conversational ability and social interaction in just a few short weeks. “Learning how to talk to each other again—that’s as important as any lesson plan,” he said. “We’re hopeful that our test scores go up, sure. But the real win is kids learning how to socialize again.”

Students, too, are feeling the difference. No more “phantom vibrations” in their pockets. No more constant tug to check a notification. “They’ll tell me, ‘I don’t miss it during the day,’” Evers said. “That’s huge.”

Evers acknowledges the policy may not be practical everywhere. Martinsville’s small size makes the system manageable, with the largest first-period class holding just 15 phones. Each tote is labeled by the teacher, making retrieval simple. “At a bigger school, this could be overwhelming,” Evers admitted. “But here, it fits us.”

The investment in the NuKase system came with insurance, so phones are protected against damage. Even bulkier devices fit with a little effort. Students personalize their cases with Post-its or stickers to spot them easily.

The policy will continue to evolve, but for now, Martinsville sees it as a win. Teachers are thrilled, freed from the constant battle of policing phones. Students are more attentive. Parents see rising grades and attendance.

Evers knows skepticism lingers in some corners. “There are still parents who want instant access,” he said. “But once they see their child doing better in school, most come around.”

For Evers, who has worked in other districts where phones were ever-present, the difference is refreshing. “This is home for me, and I hope it’s forever home,” he said. “I’ve been in schools where you couldn’t imagine a pep rally without kids on Snapchat. Here, we’re building a different culture. One where kids are present, engaged, and connected in real life.”