"I'm back in real school again": Phone ban starts at Hoover High

State of play: School staff confiscated 30 phones on the first day of school, Aug. 26. Since then, the number has dropped to an average of 12 phones a day, Randazzo says.

• He calls it a heartening number because it represents just 1.3% of the student population.
• "I feel like I'm back in real school again," a student told him last week.

How it works: The key is making sure teachers aren't burdened with disciplining students, Randazzo says.

• Teachers report phone use to the school's front office, and a staff member will then come and take it from the student.
• In return, students get a ticket to retrieve their phone at the end of the day.

A second offense requires a guardian to pick up the phone or it's held for three days, he says.

Reality check: Larger districts like DMPS have the staff to manage this system, but smaller ones might struggle, Randazzo acknowledges.

What we're watching: Some DMPS parents are gathering signatures for a petition to force a school board discussion about banning cellphones districtwide.