On Sept. 23, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom passed Assembly Bill No. 3216, the Phone-Free Schools Act.
An existing law already gave schools the authority to limit use of smartphones while students are on campus or while the students are under the supervision of an employee of that school district. However, schools will now be required to adopt and update a policy to limit or prohibit the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026.
As stated in the new bill, students will not be prohibited from using their smartphone during an emergency, when a teacher or administrator has given them permission, when the use of a smartphone is necessary for the health or well-being of a student or when a smartphone is required by the student’s education program.
The 2024/2025 Helix Student Handbook includes the Personal Electronic Device Policy which outlines the expectations and consequences for students using their smartphones. Helix calls for the entire school community to work together to prevent personal electronic devices from disturbing teaching and learning activities. Personal devices are allowed when approved by a teacher and during passing periods but not when students are out of class with a hall pass. Students who violate any of these rules are required to surrender their personal electronic devices to staff upon request.
Kevin Osborn, the Executive Director at Helix, summarizes the goal of the policy well; “The guiding principle is that during instructional time, personal electronic devices should not negatively affect teaching and learning on this campus.” Staff spent over a year fine-tuning the PED policy and it has been successfully helping students manage their smartphone use. Osborn adds that the school “provides resources to support teachers in achieving the guiding principle,” such as the phone pockets seen in many classrooms. The policy is flexible and teachers are encouraged to explore different practices to find what fits their unique personalities and teaching styles.
Compared to the 2020/2021 and the 2021/2022 Cell Phone/Electronic Device Policies, the current 2024/2025 Personal Electronic Device Policy is much more detailed but still follows very similar rules. However, the consequences for violating each policy have changed over time and could even be considered less harsh on students.
During the 2020/2021 school year, students on their first offense would have their electronic device confiscated by the Grade Level Principal and would not have access to their electronic device during school hours for one week. On their second office, the device would be confiscated by the Grade Level Administrator and only be released to a parent/guardian. The device would again be not accessible to the student during school hours for one week.
During the current school year, students can face five different offenses which each have their own documented consequences ranging from a quick meeting with the student about the Personal Electronic Device Policy to Suspension and a meeting with the principal and a parent/guardian about alternate placements. One of the key differences is that personal devices are returned to students at the end of the school day on their first two offenses. This is because of safety concerns for students who travel to and from school by themselves.
Despite Helix’s current Personal Electronic Device Policy having been created two years ago, it follows the guidelines in the Phones-Free Schools Act perfectly. The policy has been in effect for a few years now and may have helped pave the way for the new bill.
Amy Triba, the Restructuring Chair, oversees changes made to Helix’s policies and explained that “Helix saw that this need was there before the state addressed it. We see a need and we’re out in front of it before it becomes a mandate.” The priorities when rewriting the policy were to create a better learning environment for students, build community and facilitate good classroom instruction. Triba believes that the policy has had “a huge impact and a huge benefit…students talk to each other, they’re more engaged, they’re less distracted and there’s just less [pulling on them] that’s outside of the classroom.”