Ban cell phones in California schools? Georgia shooting raises questions

“School shooting rn,” an Apalachee High School student texted his mother Wednesday morning.

“I’m not joking,” he said, later adding, “someone’s dead.”

The student’s mom posted a screenshot of the exchange on social media, captioning it her “worst (expletive) nightmare” but noting her child was safe. Her son had texted her as the shooting unfolded Wednesday, Sept. 4 — “rn” meaning “right now.”

Two students and two teachers were killed, and others injured, during the attack at the school in Winder, Georgia, by a 14-year-old suspect, according to authorities.

A horrific start to the new school year. And one that raises questions about efforts to ban cell phones in schools.

“I understand the motivation to ban cell phones in classrooms, and I agree with it 100%. When kids are learning, they should not have their phones to distract them,” said Joel Delman, a parent of a high schooler in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which will enact a ban next year.

“But the idea that my son won’t have a way to reach me in an emergency is very scary,” Delman added. “I’m not a helicopter parent, but I want to be able to reach my child.”

Across California, there have been concerted efforts to greatly restrict or outright ban the use of cell phones, particularly smartphones, in schools. The idea, according to proponents, is to limit distractions to learning and curtail harm to mental health.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a letter to school leaders last month, encouraged districts to enact restrictions on smartphones on campuses.

“The evidence is clear: reducing phone use in class leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes and enhanced social interactions,” Newsom said in the letter dated Aug. 13.

“Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning and growth,” he added. “Working together, educators, administrators and parents can create an environment where students are fully engaged in their education, free from the distractions on the phones and pressures of social media.”

A few weeks after that letter, state legislators passed a bill requiring local education agencies to adopt policies that limit or prohibit the use of smartphones while at school. The policy, according to the bill, would need to be updated every five years.

While Newsom has backed restrictions on cell phones in schools, he does not believe students should be prohibited from possessing or using them in the event of an emergency or “in response to a perceived threat of danger,” Elana Ross, a spokesperson for the governor, said Thursday.

The governor does intend to sign that bill, AB 3216, Ross said.

“The current legislation retains that key provision at the urging of the administration to ensure that common sense restrictions do not infringe on the very real need for students and families, and law enforcement, to have every means available to communicate in these horrifying circumstances,” Ross said.

For Los Angeles Unified, a blanket district-wide cell phone ban isn’t coming until 2025, but individual schools have already enacted policies. LAUSD board member Nick Melvoin, who championed the district’s ban, said those schools have reported a decrease in fighting and an increase in engagement.

Melvoin, in a recent opinion article for the Los Angeles Times, acknowledged concerns about cell phone bans in emergencies. But he cited reports that suggest it might be safer for kids to pay attention to adults rather than be focused on their phone during an emergency or that too many 911 calls could overwhelm a switchboard.

“School officials, not parents, need to be executing emergency plans and communicating with teachers, parents and law enforcement,” Melvoin said.

Newport-Mesa Unified in Orange County updated its cell phone policy in October 2023, with differing rules for elementary and high school students.

High school students must keep cell phones off during instructional time but can use their devices in the event of an emergency or a perceived threat of danger, when authorized by a teacher or licensed physician or if its use is required by the student’s individualized education program.

For younger students, cell phones are not permitted and must be off and placed out of sight during the school day. Students can use phones in the school office if needed.

“We continually evaluate the impact of the policy in our schools and make adjustments to help students focus on their academics and engage with each other in meaningful ways,” said Annette Franco, a spokesperson for the district.

In Georgia, a new alert system at Apalachee High is being credited with likely saving lives when the shooting unfolded Wednesday. School staff were equipped with a special ID that has a button that, when pushed, alerts the school, other teachers and law enforcement, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Officers reportedly responded to the school within minutes after receiving those alerts.

The system also triggered flashing lights and a lockdown message that played throughout the campus, according to the newspaper. Students told the newspaper that classroom boards popped up a “lockdown” message even before they began to hear gunshots.

In 2022, it was at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman wreaked havoc, killing 19 students and two teachers.

Amid the horror, a 10-year-old student made a series of 911 calls, begging for help. “Please, I don’t want to die. My teacher is dead. Oh, my God,” the student said.

For Delman, it’s not just school shootings that concern him when it comes to cell phone bans. Aside from just the logistics parents must navigate with a high schooler’s everchanging schedule, he lives in Southern California; earthquakes are a fear, as well.

“The fact that LAUSD is going to remove my child’s phone frightens me,” he said.