By Sara Beth Williams–
The San Juan Unified School District is asking students, families, and staff to weigh in on whether the district should expand restrictions on cell phone use to cover the entire school day beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
District officials announced this week that community members can participate in an online ThoughtExchange survey focused on future changes to the district’s cell phone policy. The survey asks participants to share ideas on how much cell phones should be restricted, which grades should receive more restriction, and thoughts on students learning digital literacy.
The survey will remain open through May 22. Responses are anonymous.
The discussion on implementing an updated policy for cell phone use comes as school districts across California work to comply with a new state law requiring districts to adopt district-wide policies limiting or prohibiting student smartphone use during the school day by July 1, 2026.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3216, known as the “Phone-Free School Act,” into law in September 2024. The law requires school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education to develop and periodically update policies addressing smartphone use on campuses.
The goal of the legislation is to help improve student focus, mental health, and classroom engagement, while also addressing concerns surrounding cyberbullying and excessive screen time. The law still allows exceptions for emergencies, health-related needs, and teacher-authorized educational use.
San Juan Unified School District began publicly discussing cell phone restrictions shortly after the law was signed. In late 2024 and early 2025, the San Juan Unified School Board of Trustees held a discussion following feedback gathered through meetings and earlier ThoughtExchange surveys.
According to the district, nearly 5,000 students, parents, staff members, and other community participants submitted feedback during an earlier outreach effort, generating thousands of comments and ratings regarding cell phone use in schools. Community feedback highlighted concerns about distractions in classrooms, cyberbullying, student safety, and the need for consistent enforcement across campuses.
Based on the collection of feedback from the community, as well as testimonies from various school principals to the school board, the district’s current policy was approved by the board in May 2025.
The policy limits mobile device use during instructional class time for the 2025-26 school year. District officials said feedback from schools since the policy was implemented indicated that classrooms became more focused and positive under the stronger restrictions.
Now, the district is considering whether restrictions should extend beyond classroom instruction to include lunch periods and breaks districtwide beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Some San Juan Unified campuses already operate under stricter “bell-to-bell” cellphone restrictions, but the proposed change would standardize the policy across all schools.
The debate mirrors discussions taking place in districts throughout California and nationwide, where educators and school boards are weighing the benefits of reduced distractions against concerns about parent communication and emergency access.
Community members interested in participating in San Juan Unified’s latest survey can do so through the district’s mobile policy webpage. Feedback can be submitted through Friday, May 22.
Thoughts on this topic? We welcome letters to the editor. Submit yours here.
