Massachusetts is exploring the possibility of banning cellphones in schools across the state. At Watertown High School, they might have a solution that works for everyone.

It's an app called Doorman that limits cellphone use in classrooms without taking the phones away from students.

Last year, there was a very low-tech solution. The school made students hand their phones over during class and put them into a "phone tree" pouch on a wall. They would get them back when the class ended. Chiara Tullius, a high school student in Cambridge, said teens figure out ways around that.

"They had like phone boxes every period, but people would just put in fake phones and then still have their phones," she said. "I feel like teens are so rebellious that they're going to find a way to be on an electronic device."

When classes start this fall, Watertown High students will have to tap into the Doorman app tag near the classroom door.

How the Doorman cellphone app works

"I tap into class, (it) takes my attendance and then shows that I'm in class," said Principal Joel Giacobozzi, who demonstrated the app.

Once class is in session, the principal said, "their phone is completely bricked, as we say."

"IMessage, Snapchat, Instagram. They can't use any of those things," Giacobozzi said. "It completely shuts down all the high dopamine apps that distract our students."

The app does allow students to make phone calls. "Phone calls are definitely not a concern. We can't get kids to answer a phone call regardless of an app," Giacobozzi said. In the case of an emergency, an administrator can unlock the phones.

The goal this year is for students to stop scrolling and start learning.

"Striking a balance"

"We ask for 56 minutes of your undivided attention and that's what this app allows us to do," Giacobozzi said. "This is hopefully striking a balance for them where you can keep your phone, you can use it between classes. But it also makes sure that when you're learning, you are learning here."

"The purpose of this app is to make sure that classrooms are a place of learning and classrooms are a place for students to interact with each other and to make lifelong friends," said Doorman co-founder Patrick Cui.

Watertown is the first public high school in the country to use the app, according to the company. Teachers will be trained on it next Thursday before the new school year starts.