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Orcutt Union School District

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Students and Cellphones

Students and Cellphones

California has adopted the Phone-Free Schools Act, a law requiring all public schools to have restrictions for cellphone use on campus in place by July 1, 2026. The new law heeds an increasing body of research about the negative effects of cellphone and social media use on children. 

While the law does not take effect until 2026-2027, the Orcutt Union School District convened a Phone-Free Schools Act committee during the 2024-2025 school year to study options for cellphone restrictions with the intent of implementing restrictions in 2025-2026. The committee included district and school administrators, teachers, parents, and students. The committee met four times to research the issue, explore attitudes about cellphone use, look at options for cellphone restrictions, and ultimately make a recommendation for 2025-2026.

After discussion and review of options, the committee recommended a districtwide "off and away" policy for cellphones. Students who bring cellphones to school need to keep them off and stored in a backpack during the school day. This policy has been implemented in the 2025-2026 school year.

This web page includes information for staff, parents, and our community about the committee’s findings.

The Phone-Free Schools Act committee was co-chaired by four OUSD vice-principals:  Scott Alvarez of Lakeview JHS, Matt Boger of Patterson Road and Pine Grove schools, Molly Johnston of Orcutt JHS, and Josh Ostini of Orcutt Academy HS. For more information about the committee and its work, contact Joe Dana, assistant superintendent of educational services.

Facts Reviewed by the Committee

  • Teens spend nearly 5 hours a day on social media apps.  (American Psychological Association)

  • Rates of school loneliness have doubled since 2012.  (Worldwide Increases in Adolescent Loneliness)

  • Students not using their phones in class wrote down 62% more information.  They also scored a full letter grade and a half higher on a multiple-choice test.  (The Impact of Mobile Phone Usage on Student Learning)

  • Nationwide poll of teachers: 83% of teachers support an ALL-DAY phone-free policy. (National Education Association)

  • Since 2010, there has been a 134% increase in anxiety and a 106% increase in depression among students.  (The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt)

  • Phones prevent face-to-face communication.  Research suggests that face-to-face communications are linked to better mental health.  (Psychology Today)

  • Steep drop in bullying: 46% of girls and 43% of boys experienced a reduction of bullying after smartphone bans were enacted. (Smartphone Bans, Student Outcomes and Mental Health)

  • Adolescents who experience cyberbullying were more than four times as likely to report thoughts of suicide and attempts as those who didn't.  (National Institutes of Health)

  • 50% of students  get 237 cellphone notifications per day.  Some receive as many as 4,500 every day!  (Common Sense Media)

  • 97% of students use phones during school.  The average use is 43 minutes per day, spent primarily on Social Media, YouTube, and Gaming.  (Common Sense Media)

Survey Results

    • Survey composition: 22.8% of respondents (257) from grades 5-6, 40.0% of respondents (451) from grades 7-8, 37.2% of respondents (419) from grades 9-12.
    • 71.5% of student respondents bring a cellphone to school every day.
    • 24.9% report they use a cellphone “sometimes” or “frequently” for non-academic purposes during school hours. 15.5% report they use their phone “sometimes” or “frequently” for social media, gaming, or entertainment during school hours.
    • 49.1% believe that cellphone use during the school day “occasionally,” “frequently,” or “constantly” contributes to social distractions or peer conflicts.
    • 54.9% believe a phone-free school policy would be “somewhat,” “very,” or “extremely” effective in improving student focus and academic success.
    • 3.6% report being cyber-bullied during school hours. 4.2% report having accessed or been exposed to inappropriate content on a cellphone during school hours. 
    • 15.2% report having an unwanted recording or photograph taken of them by another student with their cellphone during school hours.
    • 35.9% indicate they are “slightly,” “moderately,” or “very” concerned about cellphone use during school hours. 64.1% report they are “not concerned at all.”
       
    • Survey composition: 55.6% of respondents (214) have children in grades TK-6, 36.8% (138) have children in grades 7-8, and 34.8% (127) have children in grades 9-12. (Some respondents have children at multiple levels.)
    • 93% of parent respondents with children in grades 9-12, 75% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 44% of parents with children in grades TK-6 say their child brings a cellphone to school every day. 
    • 58% of parents with children in grades 9-12, 16% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 13% of parents with children in grades TK-6 believe their child “sometimes” or “frequently” use their phone for non-academic purposes during school hours.
    • 55% of parents with children in grades 9-12, 29% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 34% of parents with children in grades TK-6 believe their child’s cellphone use affects their ability to focus in class.
    • 57% of parents with children in grades 9-12, 40% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 45% of parents with children in grades TK-6 are “slightly,” “moderately,” or “very” concerned about the impact of their child’s cellphone use on their academic performance.
    • 40% of parents with children in grades 9-12, 15% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 11% of parents with children in grades TK-6 believe their child “sometimes” or “frequently uses a cellphone during school for social media, gaming or entertainment.
    • 78% of parents with children in grades 9-12, 76% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 84% of parents with children in grades TK-6 believe that phone use during the school day “occasionally,” “frequently,” or “constantly” contributes to social distractions or peer conflicts.
    • 55% of parents with children in grades 9-12, 29% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 34% of parents with children in grades TK-6.
    • Overall, 78.3% of parent respondents believe a phone-free school policy would be “somewhat,” “very,” or “extremely” effective in improving student focus and academic success.
    • 66% of parents with children in grades 9-12, 68% of parents with children in grades 7-8, and 74% of parents with children in grades TK-6 say they would “somewhat support” or “strongly support” stricter phone restrictions during school hours. 
    • Overall, 74.0% of parent respondents would “somewhat support” or “strongly support” students keeping phones in a designated area (e.g., locked pouches, phone caddies, etc.) during class time.
    • Overall, 68.2% of parent respondents would be “slightly,” “moderately,” or “very” concerned about their ability to communicate with their child during school hours if a phone-free policy were implemented.
    • Overall, 69.9% of parent respondents say they are “slightly,” “moderately,” or “very” concerned about student phone use during school hours.
    • Survey composition: 57.5% of staff respondents (84) from grades TK-6, 36.3% of respondents (53) from grades 7-8, 20.6% of respondents (30) from grades 9-12. (Some respondents work with multiple levels.)
    • 36.1% of staff respondents report students use a cellphone “sometimes” or “frequently” for non-academic purposes during school hours. 56.6% report students use their phone “sometimes” or “frequently” for social media, gaming, or entertainment during school hours.
    • 84.2% say student phone use “somewhat” or “strongly” impacts their ability to focus in class.
    • 89.7% say they are “slightly,” “moderately,” or “very” concerned about cellphone use affecting students’ academic performance.
    • 94.5% believe that cellphone use during the school day “occasionally,” “frequently,” or “constantly” contributes to social distractions or peer conflicts.
    • 98.6% believe a phone-free school policy would be “somewhat,” “very,” or “extremely” effective in improving student focus and academic success.
    • 86.9% “somewhat support” or “strongly support” requiring students to keep phones in a designated area (e.g., locked pouches, phone caddies, etc.) during class time.
    • 27.3% are “slightly,” “moderately,” or “very” concerned about students being unable to use their phones during school hours if a phone-free policy were implemented.
    • 60.8% have implemented their own classroom phone policy (such as a phone caddy, no-phone zones, or tech-free days). Of these staff, 59% say their policy has been effective, and 41% say it has been difficult to enforce.
    • 92.4% are “slightly,” “moderately,” or “very” concerned about cellphone use during school hours. 
       

More Information for Parents