Students were still learning math but with potentially fewer distractions.
That's because Madera Unified School District's phone-free policy officially went into effect at all middle schools.
"Our students will be enjoying, at least that's our intention, a phone-free learning environment," MUSD Superintendent Todd Lile said.
Each morning, students must put their phone into a Yondr pouch and lock it as they head on to campus.
It can only be unlocked with a magnet mechanism.
Caroline Zavala said she was worried about how long the process would take each morning.
"At first, I thought it would be like a huge line waiting for them to put them away, but it actually went by like pretty fast," Zavala said.
The eighth grader says it's an adjustment not having her phone to text or call her mom for things she forgot or to connect with friends.
"We're basically going to wait and see how it goes, but at the same time, if they want to text me like, 'Where are you at? I'm trying to meet up with you.' and stuff like that, we just have to look around the whole school to try to find each other," Zavala said.
Students are responsible for bringing their Yondr pouch every day, and their phones must remain in the pouch throughout the day.
All teachers have a magnet that can open the pouches at the end of the day or in case of an emergency.
The cost for the district was more than $100,000. That funding came from the Learning Recovery Grant.
Principal Brad Holck says the cell phone rules on campus haven't changed.
"This is not a punishment. This is a tool to help us enforce what we've been having as a rule already," Holck said.
If a student is caught with their phone out, it's confiscated and they can pick it up at the end of the day.
But if it happens again, parents must pick it up.
The phone-free policy aligns with the Phone Free School Act Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2024.
It emphasizes the importance of minimizing distractions in classrooms by July 2026.
Principal Holck says he believes this will reduce student distractions.
"We're excited to see what this will bring," Holck said. "We really hope to see students engaged in their classes to a higher degree."
The phone-free policy is in effect now at Martin Luther King Middle School, Desmond Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Madera Technical Exploration Center, and Ripperdan Community Day School.
Starting at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, all high schools will be under the same rules.
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