McMurray Middle School is one year into its “Away for the Day” policy, which requires students to turn in their cellphones for the entirety of the school day.

The goal was simple: give teachers more time to teach, improve academic focus, reduce distractions and help students reconnect — both with each other and with learning — amid growing research on the mental-health impact of smartphones.

The shift reflects a broader national debate. Across the state and country, schools are grappling with how to balance technology use with student well-being.

While McMurray never technically allowed phones in classrooms, they were still a steady presence — buzzing in backpacks, glowing under desks or filling lunchrooms with scrolling thumbs. That changed in September 2024, when students began turning their phones in to their last-period teacher at the start of each day, retrieving them only after the final bell.

Compliance is high but not total, said Principal Greg Allison, who estimates about 75% of students hand their phones in daily. Even for those who don’t, phones are largely “away for the day,” stored in backpacks or lockers.

“Teachers report that it’s been really good in classrooms,” Allison said. “Students are more focused on their learning. I think it’s probably a relief for kids too. They might not admit that … but I think it’s probably a way to reduce stress during the day.”

Veteran math teacher Jenny Granum, who has taught at McMurray for 16 years, was one of the policy’s earliest advocates — and she’s seen a transformation that has only been positive, she said.

“Kids are more engaged in class,” Granum said. “When kids had cellphones, they were constantly under their desk, texting all the time.”

She remembers the first week of the new rule vividly. Without phones, students began circling up during homeroom to play hand games and laugh together — something she said she hadn’t seen in decades.

Granum has also seen a measurable impact on learning. Scores on the Smarter Balanced math test jumped roughly 20% compared to the prior year, she said. Students are listening in class now, she said, and even when a phone used to buzz from inside a backpack, it was enough to pull their attention away from the lesson — a distraction she’s glad not to grapple with anymore.

Beyond academics, she’s noticed less social stress. “I just remember at least 20 times having a student in my class so down because someone had taken a picture of them in a previous class and posted it,” she said. “Now I’m watching kids talk, be supportive of each other and help each other out in ways I haven’t seen in decades.”

Social studies and humanities teacher Larry Dubois, who has taught at McMurray for 27 years, has seen the school through every phone era — before they existed, when everyone had one and now, when they’re largely put away.

He said he used to see kids sitting side by side before school on the benches, staring at glowing rectangles in their laps. It changed the way students socialized and interacted with each other, he said.

Dubois said the constant demand to respond immediately weighed heavily on students. “I almost felt a palpable relief from the kids,” he said. “The pressures they were putting themselves under for staying connected and responding immediately was a lot.”

Phones and the social pressures that come with them still exist at home, Dubois said, but there’s no need for them to complicate school life. “I think that’s part of what we’ve achieved by putting them away for the day,” he said.

He described the benefits as “anecdotal but clear” — more engagement, better focus and a classroom that feels a little more human. “The technological reality exists whether they have access to the phone or not,” Dubois said. “To me, the greatest benefit is taking that one heavy variable off their plate and giving them a chance to engage in a different, more organic way with each other.”

Eighth-grader Anna Cain said she believes the policy has helped concentration — though some students still keep their phones tucked away. “It’s a really good thing, but I think also a lot of students just don’t turn their phones in,” she said.

Before the policy, she remembers students — especially commuters — calling their families during lunch. “People started feeling less comfortable at school,” she said. “People would be able to talk to their families while they were at school if something was bothering them, and that’s not really an option anymore.” Still, she said, “I think people are paying attention, but then they’re also now goofing off with their friends.”

Allison acknowledged those trade-offs but said the overall effect has been positive. Students can still email home if needed, and the office phone is always available for urgent communication, he said.

Counselor and parent Anna Waldman, who joined McMurray this year, said she’s noticed more social connection during lunch. “We just feel like students are really connecting,” she said. “Kids are playing more games at lunch — when a chunk used to just be on their phones.”

Fewer sixth graders have phones now, she added, and the school’s example is helping parents stick to their instincts to introduce phones later on.“The policy reinforces, at least for me as a parent, what I’ve already been thinking,” she said.

Allison said the policy isn’t a cure-all for distraction or anxiety, but it’s a meaningful step. “I think it’s still a work in progress,” he said. “By no means have we solved anxiety and depression and things like that … but I think we’re accomplishing a significant amount of focus in the classroom.”

And that focus, teachers agree, is worth protecting. “Anytime you have more focus, you’re going to have increased learning,” Allison said.