Long Beach Unified students returned to school Monday for their spring semester, but under a new policy, classrooms will be free of cellphones.
The district convened a working group of staff, educators, students, parents and caregivers in October 2024 to develop such a policy in response to a California law that requires schools to restrict student cellphone use by July 2026.
The district announced the policy in September, promising the rollout would begin this month.
How does the cellphone ban work?
Here are the basics:
- The policy applies to smartwatches, headphones and gaming consoles.
- Students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through eighth grade must turn off and store their devices when they arrive on campus until they leave, including before- and after-school programs.
- High school students can use their devices during passing periods and at lunch.
- Students can’t use their phones in restrooms or on field trips.
There are exceptions. Students can use their phones:
- In case of an emergency.
- With administrator permission.
- At the direction of their doctor.
- If they have a disability and using their device is part of an individualized education program (IEP).
Each school is responsible for creating a plan to implement the district-wide policy and individual teachers may use lockers or other methods to store students’ phones…