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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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A growing number of states are restricting student cellphone use during the school day, with California's school districts among the latest to implement new policies as students return to classrooms this fall.
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) began enforcing a districtwide cellphone ban on August 10, requiring students at all of its campuses to store their devices in lock boxes or locked pouches during the school day. There are currently 43,484 students enrolled in the district, according to the California Department of Education.
The policy was adopted in response to California's Phone-Free School Act, which required school districts to develop smartphone restriction policies by July 1, 2026.
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The move reflects a broader national trend.
As of August 5, 2026, Ballotpedia counted 45 states with laws or formal policies addressing cellphone use in K-12 schools:
- Thirty-six states had enacted measures that ban or limit cellphone use.
- Five states require school districts to adopt policies governing student cellphone use, although the laws don’t specify the form those policies must take.
- Four states have adopted policies encouraging local school districts to limit cellphone use in classrooms.
Why It Matters
The rapid spread of cellphone restrictions marks one of the most significant shifts in education policy in recent years.
Supporters of cellphone restrictions have long argued that smartphones can distract students in class and harm learning, while some researchers have linked excessive screen time to higher levels of anxiety and poorer well-being among young people, according to UNESCO.
At the same time, the policies have prompted debate among parents and students who want to maintain contact during emergencies or throughout the school day.
Oakland Joins Growing Movement
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Under OUSD's new rules, elementary school students must place their phones in classroom lock boxes, while middle and high school students use Yondr pouches, which lock during school hours and can only be opened at dismissal. Students are generally prohibited from using phones during class, between classes and at lunch.
The district says there are exceptions for health and safety emergencies and other circumstances permitted under California law.
Supporters point to positive results from pilot programs.
Gabriel Kahn, a teacher at Life Academy in East Oakland, told San Francisco news station KQED that the school “saw a decrease in school drama...an increase in focus...and an increase in attention from our students.”
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The students don’t seem to be as convinced, though.
Oakland Tech student Blake Rodgers told KQED she worries that losing access to her phone could make it harder to communicate during emergencies, particularly following incidents of violence on district campuses.
“Without a phone, I think people will be completely left in the dark, and that is a scary thing to be in," she said.
States Taking Different Approaches
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While the overall trend is toward tighter restrictions, states are implementing the policies in different ways.
Some have adopted what are often described as "bell-to-bell" bans, requiring phones to remain inaccessible throughout the school day. Others prohibit phones only during instructional time or require districts to craft their own local rules.
California's approach falls into the latter category.
Rather than imposing a single statewide ban, the law requires school districts and charter schools to adopt policies restricting smartphone use, leaving many implementation details to local officials.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Sam Wilson.
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