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Long Beach Unified cellphone restrictions begin ahead of state deadline
Long Beach teachers may ask students to store their phones in a locker, like the one pictured here, with the principal's approval.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
)
Long Beach Unified students returned to school Monday for their spring semester, but under a new policy, classrooms will be free of cellphones.
The district convened a working group of staff, educators, students, parents and caregivers in October 2024 to develop such a policy in response to a California law that requires schools to restrict student cellphone use by July 2026.
The district announced the policy in September, promising the rollout would begin this month.
How does the cellphone ban work?
Here are the basics:
- The policy applies to smartwatches, headphones and gaming consoles.
- Students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through eighth grade must turn off and store their devices when they arrive on campus until they leave, including before- and after-school programs.
- High school students can use their devices during passing periods and at lunch.
- Students can’t use their phones in restrooms or on field trips.
There are exceptions. Students can use their phones:
- In case of an emergency.
- With administrator permission.
- At the direction of their doctor.
- If they have a disability and using their device is part of an individualized education program (IEP).
Each school is responsible for creating a plan to implement the district-wide policy and individual teachers may use lockers or other methods to store students' phones.
Sponsored message
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Four months after the Los Angeles Unified School District banned cellphones, educators say students are less distracted and more talkative. But that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily following the rules. -
Schools that banned phones a few years ago have advice for other districts as the governor calls for a crackdown. -
There are at least 63,000 students with disabilities in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and many may be exempted from the district’s restrictive cellphone policy.
The district’s policy prohibits specific types of cellphone and social media use, too:
- Cyberbullying on or off campus.
- Recording or photographing fights, criminal behavior or another person without their permission. “We've had major problems with kids filming inappropriate things in the bathroom, with things like fights,” said Chris Itson, a program administrator in the district’s communications department, during a July 16 board meeting. “It's a motivator because it's ‘Now I can get attention by doing this online.’”
- Impersonating another person online. For example, creating a fake social media profile or posts that falsely represent another student.
The policy also cites research that shows young people interact less often in-person than previous generations and that social media use can be linked to negative mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression.
What we know about bans in other districts
Listen
46:11
On Feb. 18, 2025, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest public school district in the country, implemented an all-day cell phone ban for its students. Now that it’s the end of the school year, we head to Venice High School to see how the ban actually went.
On Feb. 18, 2025, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest public school district in the country, implemented an all-day cell phone ban for its students. Now that it’s the end of the school year, we head to Venice High School to see how the ban actually went.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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