When the first bell rings on Monday morning, Oakland students will have to hand over their phones and won’t be able to access them again until the end of the school day.
The new policy, required by state law, and which the OUSD school board approved in June, applies to all students from elementary to high school and remains in effect during classes, passing periods, and lunch time. In elementary schools, students will put their phones in classroom lock boxes at the beginning of the day. Middle and high schoolers will have to lock their phones in Yondr pouches, fabric pockets that can only be unlocked using a special magnet. At dismissal, students will get their phones back.
A message from Superintendent Denise Saddler last month explained that phones can slow social development and keep students from engaging with each other, which is why students won’t be allowed to have them even during break times. The new policy, she said, is also intended to combat phone addictions and avoid stoking student fights, which can be exacerbated by group texts and social media.
“We know that when students are playing with their phones, they are not paying attention in class,” Saddler said in a message to families. “Likewise, phones along with social media can cause not only distractions, but also conflict between students.”
The district’s new policy complies with Assembly Bill 3216, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2024, which required all California public school districts and charter schools to implement a mobile device policy by July 1 of this year. The bill, and OUSD’s policy, carve out exceptions for health and safety emergencies, or when a school staff member or a student’s doctor allows it. Families of students whose special education plans require a cellphone or similar device should talk to their student’s case manager or the school’s front office for an accommodation.
If a student needs emergency access to their phone, they will now be asked to tell a teacher or the front office. If families need to contact their students, the district encourages them to call the school. In emergency situations, the district will follow its emergency communication procedures, Saddler said. She recommended parents sign up for ParentSquare, the online platform the district uses to communicate with families.
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