KTLA

LAUSD to consider cellphone ban for entire school day

Students within the Los Angeles Unified School District could be “banned” from using their cell phones during the entire school day as school officials consider an updated cellphone policy.

On Tuesday, school officials are poised to vote yes on the measure, thus joining other schools nationwide that have enacted a similar policy.


Those who favor the ban say it would lead to less bullying, more meaningful communication among peers and adults and improved learning.

However, some parents, who want their children to have cellphone 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 L.A. Times.

Should the proposed resolution receive a “yes” vote, the ban would not immediately go into effect. Instead, staff would be directed to “develop and present to the public” policies that prohibit student use of cell phones and social media platforms district-wide for the entire school day.

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

Updated policies would go into effect no later than the second quarter of the 2024-2025 school year.

LAUSD already has a policy that prohibits cellphone use during class instruction and limits social media use at school to “educational purposes.” However, the current policy’s success can vary from campus to campus.