Students, teachers face off in first year of new school cell phone rules 

In the San Diego Unified School District, school returned as always this fall, but with a change: new rules about cell phone use, driven by a new state law requiring all schools to enact a policy limiting phones in classrooms.

The new rules ban cell phone use during the entire school day in lower grades. In high school, phones are allowed during lunch and passing periods, but not in class. 

Many schools say the new rules are more like adjustments, as schools often had similar rules in place in years past. But the new guidelines come as a response to  California’s Phone-Free School Act, Assembly Bill 3216. District officials said students’, parents’ and teachers’ feedback also went into the rules.

The prohibition starts off seeming absolute. For students, phones must be in the off position during class instruction. They must also be out of view and kept in a secure place, such as a backpack.

But there are exceptions.

Students can use their phones riding to and from school on a school bus if it does not interfere with the driver. 

High school students can also access their phones when at lunch or during other breaks in the day. 

If a teacher permits phones to work on and complete a classroom project, students may use them during class.

Finally, students can get to their phones in the event of a school emergency.

While cell phones remain ubiquitous, they also have become the latest version of the classic conflict in which students, parents and school leaders just don’t see eye to eye. 

Teens say they want phones – or do they? 

According to a 2024 Pew Research Center study involving teenagers and their phones, some students believe having access to the devices in school is a good thing.

Nearly half of the teens surveyed think cell phones have made it less complicated to do well in the classroom. 

Meanwhile, some other students surveyed online think cell phone restrictions on campus are a good thing.

Some say a ban helps students to focus more on their studies, and it leads to less potential bullying when students are not snapping photos or taking videos of other kids on campus. 

However students feel about bans, there’s little question they’re still using their phones. 

According to a study published earlier this year in JAMA Pediatrics, teenagers are on their phones on average of 1.5 hours a day when they should be learning in the classroom. More alarmingly, a quarter of students spend more than two hours on the device they bring with them to school daily.

What students say

At Patrick Henry High School, student Lily Castillo said: “Yeah, PHHS students have had to adjust to the new cell phone rules since we can’t have our phones out during class anymore, only at lunch or passing periods. At first it felt strange, but now most of us just put them in the phone holders or our bags. It’s become pretty normal now.”

Asked what she has noticed so far in the classrooms this year, Castillo responded, “I’ve seen teachers remind or even take phones when students don’t listen. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it still does. The rules are clear — no phones during class unless a teacher says it’s OK.

“Every classroom also has phone holders where we have to put them during lessons. It’s easy to lose focus if people are checking their phones. The school is already helping by having phone holders, but teachers could keep making classes more engaging so phones are less tempting.”

SDUSD isn’t the only local entity that has updated its rules, as all other public schools are subject to the same state law. 

The Grossmont Union High School District’s cell phone policy is much like San Diego Unified’s.

As a public charter school and part of the Grossmont district, Helix Charter High School is mindful of the distractions cell phones can have in the classroom. 

Like other schools, Helix already had a cell-phone policy. Executive Director Kevin Osborn said, “The current version reflects updated and clearly articulated expectations.”

A few Helix students said they had some reservations about the policy and limited ability to turn to their phones during the day.

Chris Hilliman noted, “Noooooo. It could be a safety hazard. On the off chance that something does happen, I can’t call my parents or the police.”

Asked if most students follow the phone policy in place, Hilliman added, “A lot of people actually do follow the rules. Overall, I’ve never been in a class where it’s been a problem. I mainly use my phone at school to listen to music in between classes. I have heard other students think cell phone rules are pointless; they don’t like the restrictions.”

Fellow Helix student Miles Marsh stated, “In some classes, we are allowed to have our phones when the teacher isn’t lecturing. But in other classes, the teacher makes it clear that they will take them if they see them. It depends on the teacher and the classroom. But most students follow the rules. A lot of students don’t like the rules about cell phones, and I have heard frustration. But I understand the rules.”

Facing the penalties

For students and their parents wondering how the district might react if one is caught using their phone in class when not authorized to do so, SDUSD does have in place potential penalties.

According to district documentation, those can include: 

• Being reminded verbally phones are not permitted;
• Referral to a school counselor;
• Contacting a parent or other legal guardian.

In the event the above-mentioned options do not work, students could be subject to having their phones taken until class ends, confiscated and given to an administrator or being prohibited from participating in extracurricular activities and other school events on campus.

What schools are doing

School officials declined to provide specific numbers of students who have been disciplined, or to say how many phones had been confiscated under the new rules. 

Patrick Henry High School Principal Sandra White said the new policy wasn’t a major change from the previous rules. “The key adjustment is that students may only use their phones during breaks, lunch, before school and after school,” White said. “Teachers now ask students to leave their phones behind when stepping out on a pass.”

Asked about how the school has put parents more at ease and specifically how it would handle an emergency situation, White said, “We reassure families that students will always have access to communication in the event of an emergency. Every classroom is equipped with a phone and a radio and staff will communicate directly with families if an emergency occurs.”

At Mission Bay High School, Principal Eric Brown said the school’s cell phone policy aligns with the new district-wide “phone-free school day” rule.

According to Brown, like at Patrick Henry, students may use phones before school time, after school, lunch periods and passing periods.

Brown said the rules were welcomed by teachers and students. “Teachers comment on less disruptions and distractions because of having phones put away. Students have generally commented that having no access to phones has forced more face-to-face conversations.” 

But there are detractors.

“Several teachers have lamented that they have another task to complete,” Brown said meaning as phone monitors. It is one more job on top of the many tasks teachers already juggle. 

Brown said those concerns happened only in the beginning.

“A small number of students still challenge the status quo by hiding their use of their phones when they are not supposed to be on them,” Brown said, calling it not a “perfect implementation.” 

“The phones are accessible – should the need arise,” Brown said. “What is not happening is the constant texting and conversations occurring throughout the entire school day.”

Private schools

The state law applies to school districts and charter schools, but private schools may have similar policies. 

At The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, Associate Head of School Michael Beamer said students are expected to turn off their phones and store them in their backpacks during the school day. 

“In some instances, teachers may ask students to put their devices in a basket at the start of class or to move their bags to a different part of the room,” Beamer said. “Upper School teachers may occasionally ask students to use their phones for educational purposes.”

“Cell phones are a distraction for students,” Beamer said, “and we are mindful of the risks they may pose to adolescents’ health and well-being.”

Osborn, of Helix Charter, believes there is strong agreement among teachers and staff that limiting use of personal electronic devices supports deeper engagement, fewer distractions, and more meaningful student interactions. 

“Many staff have reported improved classroom focus and community connection as a result of consistent implementation across campus,” Osborn commented.

Mike Ried, an English teacher at Helix, feels cell phones are incredibly distracting and can even have a negative impact on students’ well-being. 

“Studies have shown that even having a smartphone nearby – not in use, just nearby –  fragments attention and reduces memory and cognitive performance,” Ried said. 

Ried said most students follow the school’s phone rules and recognize that in the classroom, their phones do more harm than good. 

“The issue goes far beyond distraction. Smartphones — and especially social media — have well-documented negative effects on mental health and social development. Students spend hours each day on their devices when they could be engaging in activities that actually strengthen their minds and relationships. So, it’s not just that phones interrupt learning; they undermine the very goals of education — safety, well-being and the development of critical thinking and social skills.”