Community

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

2 months ago

July 26, 2026

Post News Group

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.

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Up Next

Free Back-to-School Summer Family and Community Event Is Coming to Richmond

Don't Miss

Why Trade Show Success Depends On Standing Out (Not Just Showing Up)

Post News Group

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

3 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Business

Longtime BWOPA Member Brendalyn Goodall Appointed to California Workforce Development Board

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed longtime Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) member Brendalynn Goodall to the California Workforce Development Board. Goodall, an Oakland resident with decades of experience in public service, has held leadership positions focused on

Published

1 week ago

August 30, 2026

Post News Group

Post Co-Publisher Gay Plair Cobb with Brendalynn Goodall. Courtesy photo.

By California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed longtime Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) member Brendalynn Goodall to the California Workforce Development Board.

Goodall, an Oakland resident with decades of experience in public service, has held leadership positions focused on employment, aging services and assistance for underserved communities.

“Brendalynn will be a great addition to this Board,” said Gay Plair Cobb, who served as former state Assemblyman Sandre Swanson’s alternate to the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB).

“She understands that California’s non-profit organizations serve persons who have the most significant barriers to their labor market success and that the Board should help these groups navigate the complicated requirements of state funding.

“In other words, she will be a strong advocate for our most marginalized populations. Her voice is needed now, more than ever.”

CWDB works with the governor to shape workforce policies, programs and investments designed to strengthen the state’s economy. It collaborates with employers, workers, labor organizations, educational institutions, community groups and California’s 45 local workforce development boards to expand access to quality jobs and respond to regional employment needs.

According to the board, its work includes coordinating state programs and guiding investments in workforce training and development.

BWOPA California celebrated the appointment, describing Goodall as a dedicated advocate for workers, families and older adults.

“Her appointment reflects a lifetime of leadership, service, and unwavering commitment to strengthening California’s workforce and expanding opportunity for all,” the organization stated in a press release.

Goodall served as summer jobs program coordinator in the Oakland Mayor’s Office from 2012 to 2014. In that position, she helped connect young people with employment opportunities and job experience.

Before joining the Mayor’s Office, Goodall was division manager for Aging and Adult Services in the City of Oakland Human Services Department from 2002 to 2011. She previously served as senior services supervisor and program director for the city’s Department of Aging, Health and Human Services from 1990 to 2002.

Goodall is also a member of the California Commission on Aging, which advises the governor and state officials on policies and programs affecting older Californians.

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Black History

Jackie Wright Champions Bay Area Stories, Filmmakers and Cultural Institutions

As an award-winning communications professional, Wright has worked with corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, artists, and community organizations. In 2026, she expanded that work by launching an introductory public relations class for small businesses and nonprofits, offering practical tools for gaining visibility, shaping messages and building productive relationships with the media.

Published

1 week ago

August 30, 2026

Post News Group

Jackie Wright of Wright Enterprises. Photo courtesy of Wright Enterprises.

By Carla Thomas

Jackie Wright has spent more than two decades helping people, organizations and communities understand the power of a well-told story.

As founder and president of Wright Enterprises, a San Francisco-based strategic communications and public affairs firm, Wright has built a career spanning journalism, public relations, media relations, crisis communications, community engagement and multimedia storytelling.

Wright’s commitment to storytelling is also deeply personal. She wrote and co-directed the 15-minute documentary, “Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor,” which chronicles the story of her parents, Specialist Five (S5 Wyley Wright Jr. and Ouida Fay McClendon Wright. Her father, a U.S. Army helicopter crew chief, died in Vietnam in 1964 while serving as an honor guard during a visit by then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Decades later, Wright and her siblings had their father exhumed from a segregated cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida, and their mother moved from her burial place in Georgia so the couple could be reunited at Arlington National Cemetery in 2014.

The family journey later took Wright and her sister to Vietnam, where they discovered the former military compound that had been named in honor of their father and another fallen soldier. The documentary, centered on love, war, family, racial understanding, and remembrance, earned festival recognition at screenings.

“It was quite an honor to learn about my family’s history and share it on film,” said Wright.

That filmmaking experience complements Wright’s longstanding advocacy for independent cinema. She has served as a media partner and brand ambassador for Bay Area film festivals, including the San Francisco Black Film Festival, Oakland International Film Festival, and the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa.

“It’s important to help filmmakers and underrepresented stories reach broader audiences,” said Wright.

Whether promoting a neighborhood organization, championing an independent filmmaker or preserving her own family history, Wright has remained consistent. Through Wright Enterprises, she has turned communications into both a profession and a form of community service, telling stories that might otherwise go unheard.

“Our stories are an integral part of our history, and our history is not only American history, but worldwide,” she said.