Published September 4, 2025
BY DANIELA FOLEY
In accordance with Assembly Bill 3216, a new law in California that requires school districts to implement a phone policy by July 2026, Carmel High School teachers are now enforcing wall-hung pockets that hold students’ phones during class time.
AB 3216, better known as the Phone-Free School Act, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 24, 2024. Essentially, the act requires that public schools, including charter schools, execute a policy limiting or prohibiting smartphone use during school hours by July 2026. However, the specifics of the policy are up to each district to decide.
“I’m excited to see where this policy takes CHS,” says assistant principal Ernesto Pacleb. “We need to meet each other face to face, socialize, adapt and make friends. In the past, students seemed to spend more time on their phones than with each other, so putting the phone away will be beneficial.”
Phone pouches, placed in the entrance of each classroom, are now required under CHS’ new policy. Photo by DANIELA FOLEY
Around campus, students report a number of changes in student engagement after the implementation of the phone policy.
“I have noticed that the phone policy makes students more focused in class and encourages students to interact with others,” senior Lizzie Descalzi says.
Similarly, teachers are eager to see what the Phone-Free Schools Act will change at CHS.
“What I’d like to see is just kids interacting with each other more, talking with each other and not constantly being on their phones,” says engineering and computer science teacher John Clymer.
At CHS specifically, a new policy is outlined within the student handbook. During class time, phones may be required by the teacher to be stored in phone pockets; however, the policy is not mandatory in every class. While phones can be used during non-instructional periods without consequence, the CHS student handbook outlines disciplinary action that will take place if a student were to use their phone during class time.
According to the handbook, the first offense for using cell phones at an inappropriate time will result in a conversation between the student and teacher, and parents may be contacted. If a student continues to violate the policy for the time, the cell phone will be confiscated, where it will be turned over to an assistant principal, and a parent or guardian must retrieve it. The third offense will result in possible after-school detention, and the student may be asked to leave their phone with an assistant principal for a number of school days.
“Students are holding themselves accountable for using the pockets,” Pacleb says. “As I do my observations in classes, I’ll take a look to the left [of the door] and see the phones in place. From what I have heard, the policy has been effective.”
Before the implementation of the Phone-Free School Act, CHS’ own policy was rather vague, leaving it to each individual teacher to decide how phones should be used during class time.
“It is up to teacher discretion as to whether or not cell phones can be used, and to what degree, in each class,” read the CHS student handbook last year.
While some teachers are implementing phone pouches for the first time this semester, others have had their own policy surrounding phones in class for quite some time. Marc Stafford, who teaches history and philosophy at CHS, has required students to use the phone pouches for 10 years now.
“I’m hopeful the phone policy starts a very important, meaningful conversation about cell phones,” Stafford says. “This younger generation is the first to have cell phones as part of their daily lives growing up, so it’s vital to have conversations about these issues.”
Though the Phone-Free School Act is relatively new and will not be directly enforced until July 1, policies surrounding cell phones in the classroom have been in the works since 2019. According to Gov. Newsom’s site, AB 272, passed in 2019, gave school districts the authority to regulate the use of smartphones during school hours.
While limiting smartphone use during the school day can be linked to several benefits, the webpage cites mental health issues as the main reason for the law.
“Excessive smartphone use among youth is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues,” says Newsom’s site.
Another major concern is how frequently phones can serve as a distraction in the classroom. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers report cell phone distractions as a major problem.
“I’ve found that cell phones distract me from my work during school,” says sophomore Abby Brown. “The new policy will be an adjustment, but I hope it is helpful.”
