California is soon expected to join as the fifth state to limit the use of cell phones in schools. State legislators have recently passed a bill, the Phone-Free School Act, which would require all schools and school districts in California to develop a plan to limit the use of phones by students by July 1st, 2026. Governor Gavin Newsom is highly likely to sign the bill into law, coming out in support, stating, from a New York Times article, “When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies, not their screens,”. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond has recommended action on phones in the state’s schools, arguing that excessive phone usage in school has a negative impact on students, and removal and limitations on phone use in schools will support students academically and socially. In the bill, school districts would have the freedom to develop their own policies to restrict phones, but would be required to consult students, parents, and educators. Schools and districts can choose their method to enforce a phone ban, a potential and increasingly common option in other states being phone pouches. There will be exceptions to the ban, students will be able to use phones during emergencies or if they are deemed vital for students, whether they need them academically or to monitor health issues they may have.
Abner Hasan, 12, responded in an interview with his own thoughts on the matter. “…There are genuine use cases and I believe that, the policies of phones needs to be controlled by each teacher…” Hasan also stated, “I think that allowing phones in schools is beneficial, but, there are negative consequences to allowing phones, that, can be controlled on the teacher level, not on the school level.” He also made it clear that students should be a voice in the process. “The law should incorporate student voices, not just parent voices…”
Mrs. Nastase, a teacher at Downey High, was interviewed soon after on the bill, and her thoughts on phones in the classroom. “On the one hand, phones can be very useful and can be great tools, so I’m not anti-phone, but, I also think, even from my personal experience, phones can be very distracting…” Mrs. Nastase commented, “I also kinda wonder, did the people who wrote the bill that may become a law, did they, are they educators, do they work in schools, do talk to schools, did they talk to teachers, administrators?” Mrs. Nastase added, “There is things we can teach people about how to use it [phones] in a way that is healthy and doesn’t take away from their mental health, and teaching those skills would be really important.”
Alex Morales, father of two current students at Downey High School was interviewed on his opinions. “I would favor limiting, not eliminating…Nowadays, we’re so dependent on it, it’s a way we keep connected with others, it’s a way that we use to monitor each other to make sure we’re kinda safe and all that, and especially with the shooting, school shootings, and other such things, I feel more comfortable with my kids having phones because I feel there is a way that I can kinda contact them, even when they’re at school, incase of an emergency.” Mr. Morales also added, “I think the state can certainly have some guidelines but, ultimately I think it’s to the individual schools and teachers that would actually enforce it.”
The Downey Unified School District and other school districts across the state would be required to create a plan on phone policy if, or when the bill is signed into law. Making policy will be up to each individual district, and to the people who comprise it, students, teachers, and parents. At this time, policy is not being decided, but you can still share your opinion with the district and or schools by going to the respective website of the district you are trying to reach and locating their contact page to ask questions or share your opinion.
