With the Phone Free Schools Act signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, schools across California are being required to impose stricter phone use policies during school hours by July 1, 2026.
Teachers, parents, and administrators have expressed their concerns of cell phone use during school hours and their impact on student focus and engagement, with significant changes being considered.
The new legislation aims to increase focus on academics and social development by limiting smartphone use.
“All schools are required to do this,” PHS Principal David Yoshihara said. “The board is interested and we’ve had a workshop on this. The superintendent has sent out a survey to families and students and staff.”
The specifics of the restrictions are set to be discussed at a board meeting on December 9.
“I sense that most people agree that phones shouldn’t be used in class,” Yoshihara said. “So we’re talking about lunch time, brunch time, possibly passing periods, sort of times when kids are not in class, those are the areas that people are talking about.”
The district has received information regarding phone usage from surveys and a task force has been created to receive further input from students around campus.
“In the task force staff, teachers, parents, and students will have a role. They will be charged with doing research, so we’ll look at what other school districts are doing and observe,” Yoshihara said.
PUSD Superintendent Jennifer Hawn said that she believes it is important to take student’s opinions into account when determining the phone use policies.
“We’re going to take a really slow and thoughtful approach, get lots of information and feedback from students, staff and parents, and develop a policy at some point,” Hawn said. “I think we need to talk to students and observe what they are doing.”
While schools are not required to have their policies in effect until next July, PUSD is ahead of schedule with a recommendation to the school board set to be made on March 26.
“We’re hoping to have the policy done and ready to go for the next school year. That’s the goal,” Hawn said.
Although some administrators are interested in putting regulations in place, some students have voiced their concerns about how the possible changes would affect the school environment.
“I believe the restrictions of cellphones would greatly impact the level of learning here at PHS in a negative way. Having my phone lets me communicate and receive information from my friends and family,” freshman Massimo Mittone said. “I’d definitely be willing to stand up for my opinion.”
Some students have raised doubts about how restrictions will be enforced and whether or not they will be effective.
“It would be challenging and impractical for the school to enforce an all out phone ban. Students would most likely just be sneaky and hide their phones during class,” senior Lucas Chau said.
After the recent lockdown on Nov. 12, which was later confirmed to be a false alarm, many students believe that being able to access their phone is crucial during times of emergency.
“If there was an emergency on campus, having a phone would give me more peace of mind. I’d want to contact my loved ones and keep them informed,” Chau said. “More importantly, if there was a major emergency such as an active aggressor incident, students would be able to call 911.”
