The Brief
- Under a new state law requiring districts to limit device access, Oakland Unified has enacted one of the strictest cellphone bans in the region.
- Students are not allowed to use cellphones, smartwatches, or other personal electronic devices during class, between classes, or during lunch, except in limited circumstances.
- Elementary school students will place their phones into a lockbox at the start of morning classes. Older students will have the option to check their devices in at the beginning of the day or keep them in a lockable pouch.
OAKLAND, Calif. – Students across the Oakland Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the Bay Area, returned on Monday to the classroom for the first day of the school year.
At McClymonds High School, nicknamed the “School of Champions,” a $100-million renovation project is underway following a June 10 groundbreaking. The project includes renovated classrooms equipped with engineering labs, enhanced campus security, a modern cafeteria, updated locker rooms, new gym bleachers, and a new outdoor athletic field and grandstand.
Cell phone ban
What we know:
This school year also brings a major policy shift regarding technology. Under a new state law requiring districts to limit device access, Oakland Unified has enacted one of the strictest cellphone bans in the region. Students are not allowed to use cellphones, smartwatches, or other personal electronic devices during class, between classes, or during lunch, except in limited circumstances.…