A new policy, Assembly Bill 3216 also known as the Phone-Free Schools Act is expected to be signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill will require high school students to lock away their phones during school hours or have limited access to their devices throughout the day. These policies are expected to take effect by July 1, 2026 and will be mandated in all school districts in hopes of reducing distractions and improving focus during class.

The Paly Voice asked students and staff for their opinions on the potential phone-use restrictions and what they think the Paly school administration should implement.

	“The intention behind it is good, trying to help kids learn more, but I feel like the executions have been pretty terrible because what if something bad happens at school? We can’t contact our parents. It’s just a safety thing.”  — Thomas Groden, 10th grade
	“There are many classes that require phones, but I honestly think that the phone ban should be a thing because school is a moment for people to make actual connections with other people.” — Julie Yang, 10th grade
	“Especially for Paly, phones are very necessary for your day-to-day life in class. I know it can be a problem for some students, but a lot of times they’re really useful. It really just depends on the restrictions that are put on it. I don’t think that banning phones completely is the right thing to do.” — Tirian Melean, 11th grade
	“I’ve had teachers that are completely digital detox and that’s just because they don’t want people being distracted, which is fair. But I also have teachers that are, if you need to use it, go for it. It depends on the teacher and the content of the class. People’s circumstances can be different and in some cases, they might need access to their phones.” — Issac Moore, 12th grade
	“Having your phone in high school is kind of necessary because you’re growing older and need to be more independent and be more responsible. There’s no reason to ban phones because in college you are in charge of your phone and if someone isn’t being responsible, it’s on them.” — Charlie Dong, 11th grade
	“It really depends on the subject and the teacher’s teaching strategy. For example in Chinese class, students can use their phone as a dictionary, so whenever they need to check the (Chinese) characters they may use their phone… Nowadays, technology has improved so much, that I just think about how to bring technology into the classroom in a smart way.” — Kong Shuting, Chinese teacher

	“The phone ban would definitely have negative impacts because sometimes phones are helpful. For example, if you need to order doordash or if I want to take photos of the (white)board so I can copy it down later.” — Lilia Kuzmicheva, 11th grade
	“I’m a student journalist and for some interviews, I have to use my phone to record people. This phone ban would definitely make it a lot harder just because it’s more difficult to record on your computer while your trying to ask questions.” — Eva Chang, 11th grade