LAUSD Bans Phones During School Hours
by Dennis Lee and Justin Kim
On February 18, 2025, Los Angeles Unified School District issued a district-wide phone ban, in accordance with the LAUSD Board of Education resolution passed on June 18, 2024, "Supporting Student Mental Health and Learning by Ensuring a Phone-Free School Day." This new policy, which also conforms with Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 23, 2024, aims to keep phones unavailable on all LAUSD campuses from the beginning of the school day to the end. SASM students are no longer able to take out their phones between 8:30 to 3:35—which includes passing periods, nutrition, and lunchtime—and if teachers or administrators see them out, they are taken to the office to be picked up by parents.
This ban also restricts the use of computers and other smart devices. Computers are now only to be used in supervised areas for schoolwork. For example, during lunchtime, computers may only be used in the Parent Center under supervision. The district also banned the use of smartwatches, tablets, and other electronics. However, smartwatches will be allowed on the Science Academy campus as long as they are not connected to a phone or the internet.
The district’s cell phone ban can be implemented in multiple forms depending on the campus: some schools have teachers collect the phones and put them in a “phone jail,” while others have distributed phone pockets that seal the phones, either by velcro or a magnetic lock until the end of the school day. The Science Academy took a more lenient approach: simply turn them off and put them away. According to the new SASM policy, phones must always stay turned off in our backpacks, not pockets, throughout the school day.
One Science Academy teacher explained that removing phones will help us stay more focused on the school environment instead of being zoned out in the digital world. Removing phones will allow more IRL interaction between friends and teachers, and enable students to share in an academic environment. “I understand why it is happening,” Mr. Nuno noted. “Try it first, and you may appreciate it more than you think.” Mr. Parks also highlighted that the phone ban will be beneficial for class engagement and social interactions. Another teacher commented that many students struggle with speaking directly with classmates in social settings since they are so used to communicating via text and emoji. Out of four teacher interviewees, three reported that they confiscated zero phones on the first day of the ban.
After the controversial ban had been in effect for a month, Dennis Lee conducted a survey of 75 middle and high school students of The Science Academy. Only 10 percent of students had a positive view towards the ban when it first took effect. However, almost double the people show a positive attitude after 30 days of the ban. “It keeps me focused on my schoolwork,” a junior replied to a question asking what they liked about the phone ban. Other students also mentioned that they participated in more in-person communication than before and had more opportunities for physical exercise. However, not all students agree. One student commented, “The school ban for LAUSD should be lifted as it only worsens students’ experiences. LAUSD should reinstate the usage of phones district-wide.” In addition, the majority of students still disagrees with the implementation of the phone ban. Not only did they complain about the lack of communication and entertainment outside of class, students expressed concerns that the electronics ban could affect their academic performance by making it harder to study or do homework over lunch and nutrition.
Justin Kim from the Journalism Club summarized his views on the ban: “As a student, I oppose the policy, but I acknowledge the benefits of the new policy LAUSD is implementing. One benefit the new policy brings to the students is that our focus on schoolwork may improve significantly. I used to see many students texting their friends and hiding their phones or AirPods in the hallways right before the teacher came. Since the new policy will be enforced across the entirety of LAUSD, fewer students will continue using their phones and instead will be more engaged in class. This will help students to improve their concentration, reduce their stress, and earn better grades. However, some negative aspects of this new phone policy include students’ anxiety over not having access to phones for checking in and communicating with family and friends during breaks. Many students district-wide, including myself, who are against our school district’s new phone ban on campuses, are disappointed that devices are not allowed at all during school hours, even when we’re not in the classroom. Still, this policy may be for the greater good, as teachers have noticed an increase in engagement among the students, especially during nutrition and lunch.”
What do you think?