PUSD students (File Photo – PHS yearbook staff)
In June of this year, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education approved a resolution banning most student cell phone use in schools, to be implemented in January of 2025.
By Scott Phelps
In an effort to improve student learning, mental health, and in-person social connection at school, the Los Angeles Unified School District will limit student cell phone use. Given LAUSD’s sheer size, anything that it does is sure to affect other districts in California. Pasadena Unified included a reminder of its policy on cell phone use in a back-to-school communication on August 12. Alhambra Unified, San Gabriel Unified, and South Pasadena Unified have policies and in the latter case, administrative regulations that are part of each district’s student conduct policy. Most districts’ policies are patterned after sample language provided by the California School Boards Association (CSBA).
On August 13, Governor Newsom issued a letter calling on districts to restrict student cell phone usage and applauding LAUSD for doing so. In 2019, he had signed a bill that gave districts the authority to do this, so this is a long time coming. Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free Schools Act, was just passed by the legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature. When he signs it, the state will become the fifth in the country to have such a law.
What will be required
The new law will require school districts to approve an updated policy not later than July 1, 2026. Although not specifically mentioned in the text of the bill, the law may require students “to put their phones in a sealed pouch or lockers during school hours with the exceptions of medical needs or an emergency.” Enforcement of such a requirement by all teachers would be new as currently some teachers have cell phone cubbies where students must put their phones during class, while other teachers just ask students to get off their phone if they notice them using them during class time.
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