Monday was the first day of school for students at PSJA Independent School District, and they are starting the year with high hopes.

PSJA ISD says funding from the state is being used to make their classrooms safer.

The district built a brand-new training facility for their school police department last year. This summer, officers underwent a school safety training where they were given different scenarios during a live simulation.

Phones have also been placed in all classrooms across the district. They are equipped with a panic button to alert police.

The district also has a hotline where students and staff can report suspicious activity.

"We just built a safety facility for our ISD police department, where they do trainings with all kind of law enforcement agencies from across the districts," PSJA ISD Superintendent Dr. Alejandro Elias said.

The district is also implementing the state's new cell phone policy. Students now have to keep their devices silenced and in their backpacks during the school day.

"The student is going to have the ability to still keep their cell phone in their backpack as long as it's off, but in case of an emergency, we're not going to penalize the student. They can still pull it out and use it in case of an emergency," Elias said.

Parents can reach their kids by calling the school's front office.

This year, the district saw higher enrollment. They added around 400 new students.

PSJA ISD says safety will remain a top priority throughout the school year.

Watch the video above for the full story.