WATERTOWN –When students return to Watertown High School this fall, they’ll encounter a new classroom routine unlike any other in the country. Instead of slipping their phones into a pouch or ignoring the teacher’s request to put them away, they’ll be asked to “tap in” at the classroom door.

That single tap activates Doorman, a first-of-its-kind smartphone app designed to shut down distracting features during class. Using a virtual private network, Doorman redirects a phone’s web traffic through a restricted server, effectively disabling texting, social media, gaming, and other web-based functions for the duration of the 56-minute class. Phones aren’t entirely silenced: students can still make calls, and an emergency unlock button is available — though administrators are immediately alerted whenever it’s used.

Principal Joel Giacobozzi explained the system as an alternative to earlier policies that proved difficult to enforce. “Students walk into class, they tap their phone on the doorway, and their phone is disabled. For 56 minutes, we have their undivided attention,” he said. The technology also logs attendance automatically, saving time for teachers and giving administrators an overview of who has checked in.

A Partnership with Silicon Valley

The partnership began when Doorman’s developers, based in Silicon Valley, approached Giacobozzi with another app. After discussing challenges facing the school, the team pivoted and built Doorman around Watertown’s needs. The system is being piloted free of charge through December, with the company stationing staff in the Boston area to troubleshoot during the rollout.

Watertown High’s participation places it at the forefront of a national conversation about cell phones in schools. The Massachusetts Senate recently approved legislation that would require districts statewide to restrict student phone use during the school day. Governor Maura Healey has also expressed support for stronger limits. For Giacobozzi, that makes the timing ideal. “We can be on the cutting edge of this by doing it in an innovative way,” he told faculty during a presentation last week.

Mixed Reactions, Cautious Optimism

Teachers say they welcome a tool that could reduce distractions without requiring students to hand over their devices. English teacher Graham Madden believes the app could ease daily classroom struggles. “It takes the fight out of that daily greeting with the student,” he said. “They still keep the phone on them, but it limits the distraction during that 56-minute period”.

Digital Media teacher Mike Riley, whose classes often rely on phones for assignments, acknowledged the tension but said the balance feels right. “Everybody wants to check their phone right away. I think this will help keep students more focused — and it’ll even save teachers time by making attendance easier,” he said.

Administrators anticipate some pushback, especially as students test the limits of the new system. “We want to educate kids. We want them to learn how to appropriately use a phone in the workplace, because that’s a skill they’ll take beyond high school,” he said.

Looking Ahead

The pilot will run through December, with a review scheduled at that time. For now, teachers are being trained and parents have been briefed on the details. Giacobozzi said most families support the idea, especially knowing phones remain available in emergencies.

For a community already investing in a net-zero high school building and other forward-looking initiatives, the principal believes Doorman is another chance for Watertown to lead. “Everything we do is innovative. We roll the dice on things calculatedly, and generally it pays off,” he said. “I don’t have any doubt that this will be one of those payoffs”.

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