The Roseville Joint Union High School District (RJUHSD) entered the 2025–26 school year with a phone mandate. An email was sent out to families, and during back-to-school night, every teacher informed parents about the expectation that phones must be put away in the classroom. 

RJUHSD’s phone policy, first written in 2020 and recently mandated, prohibits students from using cell phones during instructional time, with exceptions for emergencies, medical needs, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) accommodations and teacher-approved educational use. Students are permitted to use their phones during passing periods and lunch. 

Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Melanie Dobson said the district’s phone policy complies with California Assembly Bill 3216, also known as the Phone-Free School Act, which requires schools to establish limits on phone use by July 1, 2026. The current policy is modeled after Oakmont High School, which piloted the instructional time restriction last year.

“There is a stronger emphasis on schools to enforce phone policy,” Dobson said. 

RJUHSD is working with Five Star to monitor compliance across campuses and gather data on enforcement. Enforcement of the phone policy is consistent across schools in the district, with teachers deciding upon how students are required to have phones away. At Granite Bay High School, students’ personal devices are put away in a phone caddy or a backpack, and at Woodcreek High School, they are placed in a caddy or a box. 

Tiffany Coleman, RJUHSD board member, pushed for an even stricter “bell-to-bell” policy at the June 10 Board meeting, which would keep phones off for the entire school day. For now, the board has agreed to revisit the issue in one year.

“Each school site is determining its own consequences,” Dobson said. “At Woodcreek, if the phones are out, then the teacher takes the phone, and it goes to the office for the rest of the day.”

Both Coleman and Dobson reported that school site councils received unanimous support from administrators, students, parents and teachers about the new policy.    

“Teachers are appreciative of the enforcement and its positive impact on their campus during class time. Although some students may want to be able to use their phones, we’re supporting students by trying to keep everybody focused on academics during class time,” Dobson said.

Some teachers, however, are skeptical about the effectiveness of the policy. John Sherman, GBHS IB Business teacher, said a third of his class finds a way to use their phones during class, and it’s a large distraction to have phones accessible. Students expecting a call or an emergency can use their phones upon communication.

“Most students prefer to have their phones. I see students going through withdrawal during class,” Sherman said. “Students without electronic devices are more locked in with what we’re doing in class and are less distracted.”

A survey by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 53% of public school leaders believe phones have negatively affected student performance, and over 70% feel phones adversely hurt students’ mental health and attention spans.

Sherman described the policy as unenforceable because students receive five warnings until infraction number six, where the consequence is detention.  

“A vast majority of teachers, for five to ten years, feel this is ridiculous. Phones are changing, where students’ minds are at, and how focused they are in the classroom. The policy to most teachers is like a ‘Thank you,” Sherman said.

Harleen Kaur, a senior at GBHS, said the policy came as a surprise, but hasn’t affected her much, as she either asks the teacher a question or uses her Chromebook.

“Because if we don’t have our phones, we enhance focus, prevent cheating using ChatGPT and maximize classroom time for student learning. Most of my teachers don’t want students bringing their phones to the bathroom because it cuts away from learning time,” Kaur said.