Local school districts must implement policies governing student cellphone use starting this 2026-27 academic year, in compliance with a new state law requiring districts to limit or ban the devices during school hours.
The Phone-Free Schools Act, a bipartisan law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2024, mandates that every school district, charter school and county office of education adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting the use of smartphones in schools by July 1, 2026.
The law cites research from several countries, including Spain, which has banned phones in schools, that connects phone policies to increased academic performance, improved mental health and reduced bullying. It allows exceptions during emergencies, with the permission of school officials, when medically necessary or required by a student’s Individualized Education Program.
More than 40 other states have adopted laws or recommendations regarding phones in schools, citing similar concerns.
The implementation depends on the specific needs and discretion of the district, according to the law’s text. Local school districts across Orange County have taken varied approaches: some already had policies that met the law’s requirements before it passed, while others adopted or modified policies that deferred some specifics to individual school sites.
Elementary and middle school campuses often ban phone use outright, while high schools allow access during lunch, breaks and other noninstructional time.
The Huntington Beach Union High School District’s policy restricts the use of devices during the school day, with emergency and medical exceptions; however, the policy leaves room for schools to modify it with prior permission from the district.
HBUHSD Trustee Diana Carey wrote in a statement that a school’s individual policy “reflects its unique character and addresses the educational needs of its students,” rather than one “applied universally to all schools.” The decision followed input from stakeholder committees composed of students, parents, teachers and administrators, she added.
“Our Board feels this is imperative if a policy is to be effective and in consideration of the needs of all students,” Carey wrote. “There may be individuals who wanted a total ban on the use of phones in our classrooms, but this would not serve our students or instructional practice well.”
In the Fountain Valley School District, phone use in the classroom requires teacher authorization. The Huntington Beach City School District restricts use outright during school hours, and the Ocean View School District directs that devices be put away while a student is on campus. (All three districts, which exclusively serve elementary and middle schools, have similar limited exceptions.)
The law requires districts to revisit and update their policies at least once every five years.