Overview
- Oakland Unified, which began the rule Monday, requires elementary students to store phones in locked classroom boxes while older students must use lockable pouches or check devices in at the start of the day.
- The policy bars cellphones, smartwatches, and other personal devices during class periods, passing time, and lunch except for approved learning uses or emergencies.
- The district allows documented medical and IEP exceptions and gives staff the ability to unlock devices in emergency situations while keeping existing parent‑school communication protocols in place.
- Some parents interviewed expressed support for reduced classroom distraction while some students voiced safety worries about losing quick contact after recent campus violence.
- The move follows a statewide push for stricter device rules and sits alongside other OUSD starts for the year, and research on locked‑phone programs shows clear drops in in‑school phone use but mixed effects on test scores, attendance, and behavior.