With the implementation of the cellphone and electronic ban on its way to Los Angeles Unified School Districts (LAUSD), junior Jordan Viviano is skeptical about how the policy will be imposed.
“I wouldn’t say I have any major concerns about it because I get that you can’t use your phone for a certain period of the day,” Viviano said. “I just think the way they’re implementing it is just kind of unnecessary.”
In a 5-2 vote, LAUSD made the decision to revise district policy regarding electronic use. The ban was supposed to go into effect in January, but has been pushed back to February 18. The ban calls for all electronic devices, which include phones, smart watches, earbuds and other smart devices, to be prohibited from being used on school grounds. The ban on smart devices was enacted to combat cyberbullying and mental health issues from developing in students stemming from social media use.
“I think the ban will eventually help with student focus,” English teacher Francesca Gunther said. “I think at first, it’s going to be a hard transition because everybody is so used to having access all the time to their phones.”
At Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS), Magnet Coordinator James Morrison is still awaiting instructions from LAUSD about when the school will get the resources it needs to put the ban in place. During a Local School Leadership Council meeting on Nov.14, it was decided that magnetic pouches would be distributed for students to put their phones in for the whole school day.
“Until information comes out, we can’t say anything or do anything right now,” Morrison said. “My guess is that we’re not going to hear anything until January, and then the policy, whatever goes into effect, will really affect in February. That’s a guess because I just don’t see enough time for two weeks in December.”
The phone ban will grant exemptions to students under special circumstances and if they meet certain criteria that establishes a need to use devices during school hours. Students may be exempt if a device is needed for health reasons, language translation, accommodations due to disability and for student journalists while reporting.
“I’m really happy about that because I was panicking when I first heard that there would be a restriction against phones with the cellphone ban being put in place,” The Pearl Post Online Editor-in-Chief Jenny Marquez said. “I do a lot of recording with interviews for articles or the podcast in general.”
A new state law nicknamed the Phone-Free Schools Act passed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 28 will require all school districts and charter schools in California to implement restrictions on cellphone use or enact a ban of electronic devices on campus grounds before June 1, 2026. The most common method for enforcing a phone ban is installing magnetic phone pouches, which intercept cellular signals or phone holders in individual classroom.
“We didn’t necessarily vote on this policy,” science teacher Timothy Hughes said. “We did not craft this policy, but we have to change our school phone policy to match the district’s policy, to be at least as strict as the district’s policy.”
