L.A. School Cell Phone Ban: Here’s What You Need to Know

In a polarizing decision, the Los Angeles United School District passed a school cell phone ban. The school district is the second largest in the country, with nearly 500,000 students in its jurisdiction. 

The vote was passed 5-2 on June 18th and is slated to impact students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Although the vote has passed, the board will need to meet shortly to iron out the details of the ban. They plan to implement a set of ban rules in the district in January next year. 

The cell phone ban has received varied support from the surrounding community. Some people support it and think it will protect students from cyberbullying and support connections. Others argue that it reduces student ownership of their phones and impacts the ability of students to communicate during emergencies. 

Implementing the Ban 

The district already bans cell phones during regularly scheduled class times. The new policy would extend the ban to all times during the school day, including breaks, lunch times, and any other non-class times. 

Implementing the cell phone ban is still in the early phase of discussions. Board members have proposed strategies such as phone lockers or locked pouches. Regardless of their final decision, the school board has asserted that they will use strategies proven to be the most beneficial. They will look to leaders and experts in the fields of child development, health, and education for options. 

The board has also clarified that they will thoroughly discuss the intricacies of unique cases requiring cell phones. For instance, students who use their cell phones for emergency health purposes or translation purposes will be thought of during discussions. 

Parent’s Response to the Cell Phone Ban 

The ban has received varied support from the greater Los Angeles community. As previously mentioned, some parents and educators directly support the ban. There is clear evidence that cell phones can promote cyberbullying and disconnection from peers. Teachers supporting the cell phone ban have expressed how students seem alone with their phones rather than talking to their friends around them during breaks and lunchtime. 

On the other hand, some parents are in extreme opposition to the cell phone ban. They don’t think a phone ban would be inclusive for students requiring phones for translation or health services. Likewise, some parents argue that students need phones to contact parents during family emergencies. Others have added that phones are necessary for students during major emergencies such as lockdowns and natural disasters. 

Regardless of the backlash, most of the community seems to agree with the ban. With that in mind, the school board has clarified that they will thoroughly discuss these special cases and issues with the ban. 

Government Support 

In addition to parental, educator, and school board support, the ban is in line with statements made by larger governmental authorities. California Governor Gavin Newsom supported the ban during the voting period. In 2019, Newsom had already signed legislation that allowed for the ban of cell phones in schools. 

The Governor echoed sentiments from the U.S. Surgeon General’s remarks published in a New York Times essay on June 17th, 2024. In his essay, the Surgeon General argued that social media platforms should come with clear warning labels. He equated social media platforms to alcohol and tobacco—products that have inherent risks with use. 

Using the Surgeon General’s words, California’s Governor said, “Building on legislation I signed in 2019, I look forward to working with the Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies – not their screens.”

Conclusion

Cell phones can be an extremely dividing topic. Some people stay away from phones, worried that they disconnect people from each other. People also note how kids are especially susceptible to the dangers of cell phones in the form of bullying and social media. Others see the beauty in cell phones. They value the power that cell phones can bring through open communication and information collection. 

Despite their benefits, phones have become an increasing issue within schools nationwide. Students have become increasingly distant from each other and more distracted from their class times, and teachers are being confronted with issues they’ve never experienced before.

In the wake of these issues, districts nationwide, including the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District), have been implementing cell phone bans. These bands have seen some backlash with valid concerns. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how these bans develop and implement within schools across the country.