Let’s face it, we’ve all had to get used to the changes at the airport after 9/11. Eventually, we adapted and so the cell phone checkpoint for students at Robert T. Hill Middle School is entirely appropriate.

“We joked about taking over ASD for a day and showing them how it should, you know, be more comfortable and more fun for everyone,” teacher Andrea McAnally said.

Teachers ensure that students do not have anything that physically harms them or interferes with their learning.

Cell phones are sealed in a pouch called Yondr, only the professor has the key to open it.

It’s the new trend in schools this year but at Robert T. Hill, it’s a thing of the past, they were the very first in the country to do it, more than five years ago.

“I think at the time we paid $10 for shipping, and they said, ‘We want you to try this. Let us know what you think,'” the director said Candice Ruiz.

Most of the students ignored him.

“I was shocked, because in my elementary school you could take out your phone, but not in class,” said Jamayseion Edmonds, a 6th grader. “I haven’t really thought about it. I mean, obviously, it’s for the students to pay attention to.”

It was clear that the classrooms needed help.

“Our students couldn’t stay focused. It was difficult. The timers were going off. The text messages were going off. My mom is texting me, I have soccer practice. I have to let her know. And there was no real focus on instruction,” Ruiz said.

Richardson ISD also tried it, and this school year more districts signed on after hearing the successes of schools like Robert T. Hill.

“The difference is incredible. The culture of the school has changed. It really has,” McAnally said. “The kids are talking to each other now, at lunch they’re busy with each other. They’re not on the phone.”

The data also backs it up. Robert T. Hill saw a 75 percent decrease in bullying and, academically, a 13-point gain in the number of students meeting STAAR expectations.

But like everything these days, it is not without controversy. The biggest complaints came from parents.

“They don’t like the inconvenience of not having their kids respond to them instantly, and that’s the problem,” McAnally said.

As more schools across the country considered locking their phones, another school shooting took place.

“I mean, the only downside is, like there’s an emergency, how are you going to open it?” Edmonds said.

“They can go in there. One of the features of our pouch is that it’s not indestructible, so it can be opened in an emergency, and your kids will probably be able to show it to you,” Ruiz said.

Is it worth it? Do schools require it? This is such a tough question, but listen up kids.

“I like it because, because I need a little break from the phone, because I’m a little addicted because I mostly like to use my phone, like, 24/7 7, so I needed, so I need a little bit of time off with that,” said Allison Martin, a 6th grader.

After having their phones confiscated, many of them say they understand why.

“They helped the kids grow, especially because some people can’t concentrate,” said Guilianna Ramirez, an 8th grader.

The principal says the reaction from parents has also disappeared.

“They saw that when their child did well in class, they didn’t do well when their child did well in reading and math. They saw the benefits of that,” Ruiz said.

Cell phones are quickly being seen as dangerous in schools, and school leaders want to work to keep them out in the name of education.

Currently, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has said that if he had the power, cell phones would be banned in all Texas schools. Lawmakers can give him that authority and that’s something we could see as soon as next year.