Gov. Gavin Newsom wants schools to tell students it’s time to hang up their cellphones at school. On Tuesday, he renewed his urging that districts restrict students’ smartphone use to improve academic outcomes.

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But the issue is still being worked out in some Fresno-area schools.

California is just catching up to Clovis Unified School District, which for several years has had a policy restricting cellphone use for intermediate and high school students, and pretty much banning it for elementary students, spokeswoman Kelly Avants said Tuesday.

The policy bans students from using smartphones unless a teacher allows it for educational purposes. They are not to be used in restrooms, locker rooms, or other spaces where students should expect privacy. They are not to be used to record audio or video content for social media.

Bad Grades, Bad Behavior

The district cites a Rutgers University-News Brunswick study that found personal use of cellphones by students during class not only leads to lower grades for them but also for other students.

In addition, a study by Danish researchers published last month found that when students’ screen time for non-school-related uses is restricted to three hours a week, the students’ mental well-being and behavior improved significantly after just two weeks.

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“Last spring we started looking at that just in light of some of the conversations that have been happening around the state, and in light of the body of science that’s now becoming available related to cellphone impacts, to the use of electronic devices, in the classroom and their impact on learning,” Avants said. “And so we’d already made plans to just double down on enforcement of our existing policies and make sure that we’re real consistent.”

The “doubling down” begins with the start of the new school year on Monday, when students, parents, and teachers will be reminded of the cellphone policy and the ramifications of violating it.

“I will admit that we have allowed schools and individual teachers to manage that policy enforcement on their own,” Avants said. “And I think over time, as it just became so prevalent, we were not being consistent in following our policy. So the policy didn’t need to be updated, we just needed to update our awareness of it.”

There’s no outright ban on having a cellphone at school for Clovis Unified secondary students, who can still have access in the event of an emergency, she said.

FUSD Officials Working on Policy

Meanwhile, Fresno Unified will start the new school year with individual schools determining cellphone restrictions, Interim Superintendent Misty Her said. District officials are in the process of reviewing and formulating a districtwide policy, but for now it will be up to schools to work with students, parents, and staff, she said.

Bullard High School made headlines in November 2022 when Principal Armen Torigian required students to store their phones in locked bags during the school day, but that controversy seems to have died down.

Phoenix Secondary also has restricted cellphone use in school by students for some time, Her said.

She said she is in agreement that cell phone use has been detrimental for students both academically and social-emotionally, but slamming on the brakes is not the answer.

The district is reviewing policies in other districts in California, the U.S., and even worldwide as it develops its own policy using best practices, Her said.

In the meantime, schools will continue to call the shots on cellphone restrictions, she said.

Central Unified School District did not respond to an email query before this story’s publication Tuesday afternoon.

Clovis Unified Policy