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New State Law Limits Student’s Cell Phone Use During School Hours

OAKLAND POST — There are two ways that schools will be able to put the phone-free policy into effect. They are single lock boxes in classrooms into which all students will be required to place their cell phones at the start of the day. This will primarily be at the elementary level.

Published

1 hour ago

July 26, 2026

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By Denise Saddler, OUSD Superintendent, Special to The Post

Oakland schools announce their plan to prohibit access to wireless devices with exceptions for emergencies, special needs

As we approach the start of the 2026-27 school year on Monday, Aug. 10, there is a significant change coming to all schools about student cell phone use. Based on a new state law, every school day is now a Cell Phone Free Day.

That means during class, between classes, and during lunch, students will NOT be allowed to use their cell phones except in limited circumstances which are described below.

Because of the state law, the Board of Education voted in June to make all day, every day, in every school completely cell-phone free for all students. For purposes of this policy, “cell phone” means a smartphone or similar wireless communication device capable of calling, texting or accessing the internet; it does not include a device that a student needs for a documented medical condition or under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan, which are addressed below.

There are two ways that schools will be able to put the phone-free policy into effect. They are single lock boxes in classrooms into which all students will be required to place their cell phones at the start of the day. This will primarily be at the elementary level.

At the secondary level, there will be what are called Yondr Pouches, into which students will place their phones at the start of the day. With their phones secure, the students will get to carry around the pouches, with no ability to access them, until the end of the day when they will be unlocked.

All pouches will be unlocked at dismissal, giving students access to their phones after school is over.

Consistent with state law, a student may access a stored phone only

(1) In a genuine health or safety emergency, as determined by a teacher or school administrator, or
(2) when a teacher, administrator, or the student’s physician authorizes it

A student who believes they need emergency access should tell a teacher or the front office. In situations in which families need to immediately contact their student, calling the school is the recommended option.

Family members may also choose to email their student; however, this is recommended only for routine, non-urgent contact. During a school safety emergency, the district’s separate emergency communication and reunification procedures, not this phone policy, will govern how families are updated and reunited with students.

The district’s communication is done through ParentSquare. Through Aeries, all families automatically have a ParentSquare account. It is a good idea to ensure you are registered to receive notifications from ParentSquare.

The basis for the state law and our Board Policy (BP 5131.8) is a need to eliminate distractions from learning in school. We know that when students are playing with their phones, they are not paying attention in class. Likewise, phones along with social media can cause not only distractions but also conflict between students.

This new policy is intended to help keep those conflicts to a minimum.

Phone use can also slow the growth of social skills in some students, which is partly why phone use will not be allowed during lunch and longer breaks so students can more easily engage with each other in person.

Likewise, as we adults well know, smart phone use can be addictive. This new policy will help students better control their phone use and prevent them from excessively engaging online.

We recognize some students may need continued access to a phone or similar device during the school day because of a documented medical need or because it is required under an IEP or Section 504 Plan. Families seeking an accommodation should contact their school’s front office or their student’s IEP/504 case manager, before the first day of school.

The district will provide schools the resources they will need to implement and enforce the cell phone-free school days. Please inform your student about what is coming regarding the elimination of student cell-phone use during the school day.

We deeply appreciate the support from our families and all staff to ensure that this new policy is in place and effective starting on the first day of school, Aug. 10.

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Rep. Garamendi, House Democrats Demand Trump Administration Abandon Illegal Plans to Dismantle Civil Rights, Special Ed Offices

OAKLAND POST — “The law is clear: Congress created OCR and OSERS and Congress alone can eliminate them. The use of Interagency Agreements to accomplish your ‘final mission’ – to eliminate the Department in all but name – is counter to the will of Congress and rests on questionable legal ground. Even Congressional Republicans have expressed reservations and attempted to keep money appropriated to the Department within the Department, rather than being outsourced through IAAs…,” the members of Con

Published

4 minutes ago

July 26, 2026

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By Post Staff

Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08) joined 85 House Democrats this week calling on the Department of Education to immediately abandon its plan to transfer the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In their letter, the members argued that the Trump Administration’s plan to dismantle OCR and OSERS through Interagency Agreements (IAAs) is unlawful because Congress established both offices and only Congress has the authority to eliminate them or alter their responsibilities.

“The law is clear: Congress created OCR and OSERS and Congress alone can eliminate them. The use of Interagency Agreements to accomplish your ‘final mission’ – to eliminate the Department in all but name – is counter to the will of Congress and rests on questionable legal ground. Even Congressional Republicans have expressed reservations and attempted to keep money appropriated to the Department within the Department, rather than being outsourced through IAAs…,” the members of Congress wrote.

The members also warned that transferring OCR and OSERS functions would weaken services for students, families, and individuals with disabilities because DOJ and HHS are ill-equipped to carry out the offices’ core functions.

“The movement of OCR and OSERS also disrespects the very people who rely on those services. Specifically, these moves effectively segregate special education from the rest of the education system, moving it to an agency that has indicated it intends to treat disabilities as a health issue to be remedied, against the wishes of groups that advocate on behalf of disabled children and their families. Such action is particularly concerning given the inaccurate and harmful comments from the HHS Secretary regarding children diagnosed with autism.

“Comments such as these will leave those relying on special education services fearful about whether their rights will be upheld and their needs met. Regarding OCR, given the sensitive nature of many of the cases it handles, victims may be hesitant to seek support knowing the investigation will be run by the nation’s primary law enforcement agency. Such delays may cause cases of discrimination to fester and worsen while sending the wrong message to vulnerable communities,” concluded the members.

In February, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the Department of Education paid OCR investigators up to $38 million not to work.

In April, the Senate HELP Committee released a report that in 2025, OCR reached zero resolution agreements involving sexual harassment, sexual violence, seclusion or restraint, racial harassment, or discriminatory school discipline — despite more than 2,700 pending cases.

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Business

Council Gives Approval for $125 Million Oakland Coliseum Sale to AASEG

OAKLAND POST — Providing financial protections to the city, the final deal removes the city’s obligation to pay millions of dollars to maintain the property. It also requires a bond to protect the city if payments on the property are not made when they are due.

Published

15 minutes ago

July 26, 2026

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Left to right: Zac Unger, John Jones III, Charlene Wang, Janani Ramachandran, Noel Gallo, Mateo Ridge, Ken Houston and Jonathan ‘Fitness’ Jones. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council cast its final vote this week approving the sale of the Oakland Coliseum complex to Oakland-based African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) for $125 million, which supporters say will bring immense benefits to city residents, including billions of dollars in future development, new jobs and housing to East Oakland, and generate much-needed income for the city.

Mayor Barbara Lee thanked the City Council for approving the deal and city staff for the hard work negotiating the final agreement.

“This agreement is one step forward toward creating jobs and economic opportunity in East and Deep East Oakland… communities that have been historically underserved,” Mayor Lee said in a video statement.

The city owns a 50% interest in the complex, and Alameda County, which owns the remaining half, has already approved its part of the deal.

Under the terms of the sale of the Coliseum complex to Oakland Acquisition Company, affiliated with the AASEG, the $125 million agreement will provide the city with 6% of ticket revenue from events at the complex.

The deal also allows a $50 million all-cash sale of the Oakland Arena to a third party, the Oak View Group (OVG). According to OVG co-founder Irving Azoff, the company will invest $40 million in upgrades to the arena.

Councilmember Noel Gallo, who made the motion, said: “This $50 million payment will be immediately assigned for the retirement benefits for our police, fire and city employees, since we are three years behind in making our payments to the state retirement fund.”

Providing financial protections to the city, the final deal removes the city’s obligation to pay millions of dollars to maintain the property. It also requires a bond to protect the city if payments on the property are not made when they are due.

The 112-acre Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex is one of the city’s largest development sites. The city’s agreement culminates several years of negotiations with AASEG, an Oakland-based, Black-led developer that partnered with Loop Capital, one of the largest Black-owned investment banks in the world.

Gallo also invited a student volunteer named Mateo Ridge to join in the photo celebration to help send a message that Oakland’s future rests “with our youth who will volunteer to help keep our parks, recreation areas and neighborhood streets clean.”

Ridge, who is the grandson of Jane Garcia from La Clinica La Raza, will be entering as a freshman in Middle College High School in Contra Costa County.

Gallo also has agreed to work with the Oakland Post and El Mundo newspapers to expand a city-wide movement of volunteers to help expand his pioneering efforts to remove the trash from the streets.

Paul Cobb said he would take up Gallo’s offer by scheduling meetings with neighborhood groups, churches and the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce to provide business leadership to help build pride in Oakland.

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Business

Job Readiness, Housing Resources Among Services Provided at Coliseum Job Fair

OAKLAND POST — “Many individuals are eager to work, but face significant barriers,” said Rochelle Baxter-Green, a career development specialist at the Eastmont Self-Sufficiency Center and coordinator of the event. “Through collaboration, we can help remove those barriers and support lasting change,” she wrote in the invitation to event participants.

Published

48 minutes ago

July 26, 2026

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Vendors and guests at the fair on Wednesday. Photo by Jonathan Joes.

By Post Staff

The Bi-Annual Alameda County Community Connect Summer Resource and Job Fair for the Unhoused was held Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum, drawing nearly 800 guests and 72 vendors.

In addition to housing assistance, vendors provided coaching, haircuts, headshots, and resume assistance for employment readiness; medical and dental services; veterinary services; food; clothing; gift cards; and more.

It was supported by Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, the Alameda County Work Development Board, Alameda County Probation Department, Social Services Agency, Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, and the Oakland Private Industry Council.

Their shared goal was to help create pathways to self-sufficiency while shifting perceptions of Alameda County’s unhoused residents.

“Many individuals are eager to work, but face significant barriers,” said Rochelle Baxter-Green, a career development specialist at the Eastmont Self-Sufficiency Center and coordinator of the event. “Through collaboration, we can help remove those barriers and support lasting change,” she wrote in the invitation to event participants.

As seasonal challenges like colder weather and increased need approach, community support is especially important. This event serves as a central hub where attendees can access wraparound services, connect with employers, and take meaningful steps toward stability. The fair supporters also provided hygiene packs and shoes and socks, anticipating colder weather ahead.

In May, Oaklandside reported that Alameda County’s biennial Point in Time count had found a 13% drop in overall homelessness and an 18% drop in unsheltered homelessness since 2024, bringing the proportion of unhoused people outside to its lowest point in more than a decade. Despite Oakland’s 20% decrease in the number of unhoused, the city can be seen as the ‘epicenter’ of the crisis by accounting for more than half of the county’s unhoused individuals, despite representing just 22% of the population.