Away For The Day | Latest News - No more phones? Students and educators weigh in on OUSD’s impending ban

Ashley McBride, Twyla Hoshida and Zoe Psomas, The Oaklandside

On top of approving a near billion-dollar 2026-2027 budget by the end of this month, the Oakland school board also has to enact a policy prohibiting cell phone use during the school day.

Under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2024, school phone bans will soon be required statewide. And the deadline is quickly approaching: Districts have until July 1 to implement their new policies.

Assembly Bill 3216 mandates that every school district in the state prohibit students from using smartphones on school grounds. The bill carves out a few exceptions: phones may still be used in cases of emergency, if a staff member permits it, if a doctor determines that using a smartphone is necessary for a student’s wellbeing, or if it’s part of a student’s Individualized Education Plan, known as an IEP.

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