By Sara Beth Williams–
In December, the San Juan Unified School District announced that it would release a newly drafted district-wide cell phone policy in an effort to obtain feedback from the community.
The announcement came following the recent signing of Assembly Bill 3216 in September by Gov. Gavin Newsom, known as the Phone-Free School Act. The law takes effect in 2026 and will require public schools to limit or ban the use of cell phones in class.
The district said during the final San Juan Unified Board of Education board meeting of 2024 that feedback would be gathered from students and staff through December and January. A draft cell phone policy is slated to be circulated through the community district-wide in February, giving the broader community options to provide feedback on the new policy. A final policy draft is anticipated to be completed and submitted back to the Board for approval in April in time to be implemented in the 2025-26 school year.
Currently, the district’s cell phone policy “explicitly prohibits phone use during class time” and requires devices to be turned off. According to the district, at least 90 percent of school administrators have some kind of active cell phone restriction policy in place. More than 60 percent of school sites that have active cell phone restriction policies have had those policies in place since the 2022-23 school year or earlier.
San Juan Unified School District Director of Communication Raj Rai reported via email Wednesday that multiple schools in Citrus Heights already have active cell phone restriction policies. At Sylvan Middle School, students are not allowed to use cell phones during class or instructional time. Both Mesa Verde and San Juan high school policies indicate that students are not allowed to use cell phones during class or instructional time unless it is approved by a teacher.
Lichen K-8 and Woodside K-8 students are not allowed to have cell phones at all throughout the entire school day. Kingswood K-8 students are not allowed to use cell phones during class or instructional time.
Board member Manuel Perez, who represents Citrus Heights, did not agree with the stricter cell phone policies some schools have and said he “needs to be able to get ahold of” his daughters during the school day.
Board member Zima Creason said cell phone usage is a “parenting issue” and encouraged parents to have open conversations with students about cell phone restrictions and why they are in place. Creason also said that parents can get ahold of their kids in other ways during the school day.
Board President Ben Avey said, “stricter is better” but advised that medical conditions like Type 1 Diabetes, which require a cell phone to be utilized throughout the day, should be taken into consideration. Avey also said El Camino High School’s newly implemented strict restriction of cell phone usage has “eliminated bathroom meet-ups,” according to the school principal. Avey explained that in the past, “bathroom meet-ups” would often cause other students to fear using the restroom at school.
Board Vice President Tany Kravchuk said she would like to see cell phones used appropriately in classroom environments and appreciates when students are able to use phones as translators or for engaging with the teacher through interactive academic games and activities.
According to Newsom’s website, the development of district policies under AB 3216 needs to involve input from students, parents, and educators “to ensure the policies address their needs.” The policies must allow students to use their phones in case of a school-wide emergency or when permitted by a teacher, administrator, doctor, or outlined in the student’s individualized education plan.
After gathering feedback from the wider community, a final cell phone policy draft is anticipated to be completed by the San Juan District and submitted back to the school board for approval in April. in time to be implemented in the 2025-26 school year.
