Students are acclimating to the new Palo Alto High School classroom phone policy, which requires students to deposit their devices in designated holders before class, starting this academic year.
Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson said that creating the policy was a collaborative effort.
“[It went] through Ed Council last year, which is the meeting of IL’s [instructional leads], the admin team and a few other team members,” Berkson said. “[Principal Brent] Kline also discussed it a bit with the Principal Advisory Committee, which is the students.”
This policy is a big shift from previous years, where phone use was regulated by individual teachers with no school-wide instruction.
Paly English teacher Joshua Knowles-Hinrichs, who piloted the program last year using classroom phone racks, said he observed more uniform student cooperation now that a consistent policy is in place.
“Having a formal system that applies to everyone and we all buy into has made a big difference,” Knowles-Hinrichs said. “No one is confused by it or reacting negatively to it [anymore]. It’s become a norm.”
In September 2024, California legislators passed Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act, which directed districts to adopt policies limiting school phone use before July 1, 2026. This was in order to minimize distractions and promote student mental health, according to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office.
The new policy has received mixed opinions from students, but many say they have benefitted from being separated from their devices. Paly freshman William Barillas said he felt more focused without the temptation to check a message.
“It keeps people ‘locked in’ in class,” Barillas said. “You get to use them [the phones] outside of class, so I think it’s a good compromise.”
According to history teacher Katya Villalobos, the policy had positive effects beyond student focus.
“As opposed to looking down on a screen, they [students] are actually talking and communicating with each other,” Villalobos said. “When I do a pair-share exercise, they’re all participating.”
With an organized collection routine at the start of class, Villalobos said she no longer worries about policing unauthorized phone use like she used to before the implementation.
“As a teacher, I didn’t realize how much time I was spending on classroom management with the phones,” Villalobos said.
Paly senior Denise Dinh hopes to see more flexibility in the system.
“At least let us have our phones during breaks,” Dinh said. “Some teachers do give us breaks during class, so I think that should be our time to do whatever we want.”
Berkson said adjustments to the policy are possible, but the administration is satisfied with the current rules in place.