December Education Sector Telebriefing Recap: Smartphones in Schools
By Nicole M. Villa, Live Well San Diego Education Sector Lead
The December 3rd Live Well San Diego Education Sector telebriefing featured a presentation and discussion around smartphone use in schools and was open to everyone interested in this important topic. Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act, was approved by the California State Legislature on September 23, 2024 and requires every school district, charter school, and county office of education to develop a policy limiting the use of smartphones on school campuses by July 1, 2026.
The County of San Diego and the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) are collaborating to support schools and districts in creating and implementing solutions to address smartphone use during school hours. Tracy Schmidt, the Director of Safety and Student Engagement at SDCOE, presented an overview of the requirements and background behind developing smartphone policies.
After the presentation, the 140 participants on the telebriefing were encouraged to share their input through the Virtual Connection Hub on prompts, including:
Respondents have expressed the importance of considering students with medical conditions and obtaining buy-in from students, staff, and parents, and offered suggestions such as containers for phones to limit use during class time.
Your input is needed to help explore ways that the County can support schools and districts in their efforts to develop and implement solutions to address use of smartphones during school instruction hours.
