In this day and age, technology is bound to be found just about everywhere. Amongst younger generations, having a phone is almost just as important as our own basic needs. It allows us to communicate with anybody we wish to anytime we want and entertain ourselves with music, games, and videos. 

However, it is expected that there are limits that should be put on screen time, especially in an academic setting. As of late, politicians have been pushing for phone-free school zones so students can place all their focus on being attentive in their classes and not deal with easy distractions. Our own governor, Gavin Newsom, has placed importance on keeping phones away during school hours.

In 2024, Governor Newsom signed the Assembly Bill 3216, which would require all Californian school districts to create policies focused on prohibiting phone usage during school hours by July 1, 2026. This bill doesn’t specify how the schools should limit phone usage and leaves that decision up to them.

Ever since smartphones rose to prominence among younger generations, teachers have been dealing with more issues surrounding them. 

With declining performance rates among the nation and a rise in AI work submitted by students, people have begun to pay more attention to the technology that is easily accessible in our hands. 

Other states have already established a phone ban for schools, with Florida enacting theirs in July of 2025. This ban completely forbids elementary and middle school students from using their phone at all during school hours, and forbids high schoolers from using phones, unless they receive permission from their teacher. 

Other states such as Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah have fully implemented state phone bans across their schools, and California is just the next to do so.

School districts across California have already implemented their own rules against phone usage such as LAUSD, Modesto City Schools, Santa Barbara Unified, San Francisco Unified, and our own district, Salinas Union High School District (SUHSD). 

The Salinas Union High School District has been slowly rolling out the phone bans, starting with the middle schools in 2024. 

Middle school students are mandated to start their day by locking their phone in a Yondr pouch, and keeping it inside the pouch until the end of the day. The pouch stays stored in their backpack. “While we believe that phones can serve a great purpose, we also found that learning and social behavior improve drastically when students are fully engaged with their teachers and classmates,” the administration said in a statement concerning the use of Yondr pouches. 

The SUHSD administration currently has a plan for the required bill at the high schools, which includes input from both administration and teachers. “We’re going to use the cell phone policy that is already in place,”  Principal Christina Perez said. “We’ll remind students, parents, and families about it from the get go. The goal is to build out those skills [for the workplace] rather than just take stuff away.” 

There is currently a committee of teachers in the district that meet virtually to discuss other methods to limit phone usage in class. “We meet online to discuss what we can possibly do and we’re looking at other districts that have successfully implemented a cell phone policy,” English teacher Mireya Gutierrez said. “The main concern is to have admin support when a student doesn’t put their phone away.” 

The method the teachers would prefer, inevitably, is the Yondr pouches. “The kids don’t like them, but they work really well, especially in middle schools,” Gutierrez said. “They’ve seen a lot more motivation and students are actually checking out more books.” This all goes back to the main concern of phone usage causing students to be less interested in their studies.

However, for high schools, Perez and the district don’t seem too keen on the idea of having Yondr pouches in every classroom for each school. “As students get older, they need to be responsible with technology use,” she said. “People need to learn how to function in the real world the older they get.” 

Her main goal is to help students learn responsibility and to have self-control with their devices while in a professional setting.

Beyond this, teachers have already been cracking down on phone usage during their class, either with boxes or pouches put against the wall. “I’ve been using boxes at the tables for several years now, and I find it very effective,” English teacher Mick Battaglini said. “I tell the students from day one that it’s not their fault that their devices and social media are made to be addictive, but that they need to be in the moment and focused on what we’re doing in class.”

Moreover, a general consensus seems to be shared by teachers about phone usage. “If the students don’t have that self control to put [cellphones] in their backpack and leave it there, then maybe there should be a way to help them,” science teacher Rebecca Ward said. “I think as long as the phone policy is standard, I would be okay with it.

The debate surrounding phone bans in school has always been controversial. A majority of teachers support it, as the devices serve as nothing but a distraction for the students, while parents push against it due to safety concerns. 

However, all schools will handle the phone issue in their own way, and it remains to be seen how effectively they’re able to control phone usage.