District Cell Phone Policy

By Kathryn Martin, Staff Reporter

Starting this school year, Anaheim Union High School District has enacted a district-wide cell phone ban during times of class instruction as well as while outside of the classoom and during passing periods.

Students and teachers alike have mixed emotions and diverse reactions when it comes to this cell phone ban. Personally, I know I get anxious when my phone isn’t in my pocket. The thought of not having my phone often distracts me during class. Phones shouldn’t be completely banned on campus, just limited.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3216, the PhoneFree School Act, to require every school district, charter school, and county office of education to develop a policy limiting the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026.

Several students like Sophomore Jasmin Lopez have very mixed feelings about it.

“Obviously I don’t like it because I’m attached to my phone” Lopez said. “But I think it does actually help me learn more and be able to focus on my school activities and my work more.”

Banning phones has students and parents in a mix of opinions. Several students like Lopez don’t agree with it, while most teachers do agree with it.

“I agree with the phone ban, I think students are very addicted and spoiled to their phones,” Child Development and Principles of Teaching & Learning teacher Tamara Aden said. “I also think students should be able to go on (their phones) during passing period, however when people aren’t going from class to class, then it becomes a bigger issue than it is.”

Assistant Principal Jeff Howe went the extra mile to make sure the district’s phone ban went into practice. Howe provided teachers with cell phone pockets in each of their classrooms. The hanging holders have slots for 40 smartphones making it so students can 100% have no chance of being on their phones during instructional time.

However, Howe did allow the teachers the opportunity to individually make the choice to decide whether or not they wanted to use the cell phone pockets.

“I think the phone pockets are horrible,” sophomore Elizabeth Arizon said. “Phone pockets make it to where if there is an emergency, kids are gonna rush to get their phones and crowding the doorway making the emergency worse that it potentially already is.”

Kennedy High has mixed emotions about it, but the majority of people do agree with it when they think of the bigger picture. This generation is much more of a technology generation than it was in the past and even a couple years ago. Students obviously show that they use their phones more than they use computers or laptops, and if they have a deadline for something and their Chromebook is dead, what choice do they have but their phone to turn it in? I know when I have last minute deadlines and I’m not able to get to my Chromebook, I do it on my phone.

As more time goes on and the world starts becoming more technologically advanced, the school administration should start thinking about how much teenagers in this day and time need their phones.