Campus Goes Phone-Free

By Liliana Chai and Teresa Sun Nov. 12, 2025

The Phone-Free School Act, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 23, 2024 required all school districts, charters and county offices of education to implement some policy that limits or prohibits smartphone usage during the school day by July 1, 2026. SJUSD decided to enact a complete prohibition in and out of the classroom for the 2025-2026 school year; phones must be kept off and out of sight for the entire instructional day, and for the school, that is from 7:30 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Students do, however, have the right to surpass these smartphone regulations in the case of emergency or perceived threat. With this decision, SJUSD hopes to address several academic and social problems high school students face. For instance, at the school last year, the administrators spent a substantial amount of time tracking down cybermedia bullies including instances where videotapes of students in bathrooms were posted on a public Instagram account, which is a direct violation of privacy. Many students have also been observed to have earbuds in and phones on their desk during instructional time, which have been viewed to undermine students’ ability to process and retain information taught during instructional hours.

“Incidents like privacy violation, academic integrity and cyberbullying have significantly reduced ever since the phone ban. The school is committed to ensuring both the physical and psychological safety of the students and creating a secure and engaging learning environment each day,” Principal Harveen Bal said.

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Though the policy is district-wide, how it will be implemented is up to each school to decide; at Leland, the curriculum council came together in July and discussed how the complete ban would be implemented, according to Bal. At the beginning of the school year, announcements and posters were set up around school to notify and set the expectations of behaviors. Progressive discipline was utilized, where consequences increased in severity when students are repeatedly caught on their cellphone; phones are taken away for the day and detentions are assigned on the first offense, and future offenses are taken over by administrators. If a student is believed to defy the rule continuously, counselors and parents will get involved and school privileges such as going to Homecoming or playing for sports teams will be revoked. 

“The phone ban is frustrating when I want to snap a picture, scan a homework submission or jot down some quick notes but I have to admit that it has increased my overall productivity in school especially during tutorial, where  I focus on work rather than digital entertainment,” Junior Ethan Zhu said. 

Now, as administrators survey the campus for safety during brunch or lunch, they also look out for phone usages; while teachers are encouraged to use students’ out-of-classroom phone usages as coaching opportunities, admins confiscate the phones. Nevertheless, the council established a compromise called the “ride share zone” as a reasonable measure for when and where students are allowed to use their phones. At the end of the school day, students in the parking lot or in front of the main gym waiting for pick-up can take out cell phones and communicate with their parents. 

Teachers have reported that students are interacting more, which helps foster a sense of community and student well-being, especially post-COVID when many students were accustomed to online communication. 

“Even though students have found workarounds to the policy such as using their computers like a phone with airpods in, I have noticed more face-to-face interaction during lunch in the quad, but less so at other locations,” Stacy Rappaport, Visual Performing Arts Department, said.

The comprehensive nature of the phone ban has created logistical challenges for classes that have traditionally incorporated cellphone usage as part of their educational curriculum. Darla McKenna, Visual Performing Arts Department, explained that Photography 1 students previously used smartphone cameras since it is industry standard. Yet with the new phone ban, the class has switched to point and shoot cameras. This has limited the photos’ range of editability, quality and versatility as a result of their weaker focus, light exposure or lens quality compared to iPhone.

“Point and shoot cameras limit the creative options available to students. For the first semester, lessons have been constrained by the capabilities of this tool, and we are adjusting to the new curriculum week by week. Grading expectations have also been lowered and simplified to reflect these limitations,” McKenna said.

In the ASB class where students frequently use phones to film promotional TikToks and Instagram reels for school, the phone ban has similarly required adjustments in workflow. Students opted  for a work-around: burner phones donated to the class.

“A lot of people around the school do not know what is going on as much because it is harder to get things out. Before, we could post a story on the same day, but now we are unable to due to the ban,” Senior and ASB officer Ashley Vu said.

Additionally, clubs have been affected during club rush as students no longer can scan QR codes with their phones to sign up. Despite the logistical challenges, students have largely adapted to the new policy. While a handful of students have attempted to circumvent the policy, overall administration appears to be effective in enforcing it. 

“Students have stepped up to follow the ban, and while it may be difficult, the benefits for the academic environment and psychological safety are worth it. Our goal is a thriving, engaged community where students are fully present, not distracted by technology,” Bal said. 

The phone ban at Leland is designed not to limit technology, but to maximize student focus, social engagement, and well-being. Academic integrity is reinforced, classrooms are more engaging, and social interactions have increased. The school hopes that these new provisions help students focus entirely on their education while enjoying a safe and supportive environment.

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About the Contributors

Liliana Chai

investigative report & science and tech editor

Liliana Chai is a junior at Leland High School and the page editor for Investigative Report and Science and Tech. This is her third year in journalism. She likes to listen to music, hang out with friends, sleep, and binge watch shows during her free time.

Teresa Sun

front page & lifestyle editor

Teresa Sun is a junior at Leland High School and the Front Page and Lifestyle page editor for the Charger Account. She spends most of her time at the dance studio practicing for competitions or locked in her room playing the violin and doing homework, but can be occasionally spotted hanging out with friends at the mall.