Approved by California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 23, 2024, California’s “Phone-Free Schools Act” will go into effect at Berkeley High School starting in the 2026-27 school year. Since 2019, California legislation has had unclear outlines on phone policies in schools. Educational facilities simply had the “authority” to limit phone usage in schools, but whether schools regulate cell phone usage was up to the school administration, often creating an uneven balance of cellphone policies across California. However, under the new legislation that was introduced in 2024, all schools across California will be expected to aim towards “phone-free” learning environments by Thursday, July 16, 2026.
The California state government is now requiring all school administrations to update their phone policy every five years to further limit cell phone usage in schools. Through this legislation, the state expects school administrators across California to implement regulations based on the “evidence-based necessities of pupils.” This soon-to-be implemented legislation also allows schools to decide what rules they would like to set for their own students.
“Every teacher must have a system in place for phones to be put away and kept safe. If they don’t, then I’m working as the principal to make sure that we have the resources available,” BHS Principal Juan Raygoza said. Many teachers at BHS have various phone storage methods — but not all teachers do. With this legislation, Raygoza and his administration team plan to ensure that all teachers have the resources needed to limit cell phone usage.
BHS administration is drafting a policy to go through the board on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. In the preliminary stages of policy drafting preparation, the Berkeley Unified School District has sent out multiple surveys. “Our district did feedback across all administrators. We solicited feedback from all of our teachers and staff … We sent out a survey to students. ‘How often are you on your phone during the school day? Whose responsibility is it to regulate or not?’ We have all that feedback, and that informs us about being responsive in our policy,” Raygoza said. According to Raygoza, the policy draft has been through a few district-level readings already.
A BUSD meeting held on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 by Jasmina Viteskic, Title IX coordinator and compliance officer at BHS and lead of the BUSD Office of Civil Rights, focused on the implementation of the cell phone policy at elementary and middle schools. At this presentation, BUSD administrators viewed phone restriction policies across three school districts in New York City, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. The “Yondr” pouch method was regarded as the most efficient, in which students lock their cell phones in a magnetic pouch that is locked until the end of the school day.
Although an effective method, Enikia Ford Morthel, superintendent of BUSD, said, “We have to take into account our fiscal situation as well … that’s not saying we’re not going to (implement Yondr pouches), but we have to take (our fiscal situation) into account.” With budget cuts occurring during the first semester in 2025, Yondr pouches would be a major expense. At $15,000 per 1,000 students, the Yondr pouches would likely cost upwards of $45,000 to implement at BHS.
Additionally, some BHS students have classroom environments where phone use is practical. “Sometimes we use (phones) as a tool in class for things like stop watches or to scan QR codes, take pictures, of things on the board,” BHS senior Carmen Cassidy-Soto, said.
Raygoza clarified that, for the BHS phone policy, “If there’s an educational value to your phone, you can use your phone.” The educational value of cell phones will still be recognized with this policy at BHS, and students will not be entirely prohibited from using their phones in class as long as there is clear evidence of educational benefit.
While technology continues to evolve, it can be hard to develop regulations that effectively balance modern usage. In preparation for the policy implementation, BUSD and site administrators are attempting to prohibit cell phone usage and educational disturbance while keeping in mind the district’s fiscal situation and potential educational benefits.