LAUSD plans to ban cell phones during entire school day

Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District could be “banned” from using their cell phones for the entire school day, as school officials consider updating their cell phone policy.

School officials are set to vote yes on the measure on Tuesday, joining other schools across the country that have adopted a similar policy.

Those in favor of the ban say it would lead to less bullying, more meaningful communication between peers and adults and better learning.

However, some parents, who want their children to have cell phone access for safety and communication reasons, are against the proposed ban, while other school officials say the ban would be difficult to enforce, according to the LA Times.

If the proposed resolution received a “yes” vote, the ban would not take effect immediately. Instead, staff would be responsible for “developing and presenting to the public” policies prohibiting the use of cell phones and social media platforms by students districtwide for the entire school day.

Policies and their implementation would be informed by best practices from “experts, social partners, staff, students and parents,” according to the measure.

The updated policies would take effect no later than the second quarter of the 2024-2025 school year.

LAUSD already has a policy that prohibits cell phone use during classroom instruction and limits the use of social media at school for “educational purposes.” However, the success of the current policy may vary from campus to campus.