South Pasadena board hears large public push to extend 'away all day' phone ban to high school; board considers splitting K–8 and high school policies

The South Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education spent more than two hours July discussing revisions to BP 5131.8 (mobile communications devices) after a sustained public comment campaign urging the board to extend the district's elementary and middle‑school ‘away all day’ phone policy to the high school.

A majority of public commenters asked the board to adopt an “away all day” approach at South Pasadena High School — i.e., students not carrying active phones during campus hours — arguing the policy would reduce distraction, improve social interaction and lower anxiety. Parents, teachers and community volunteers described petitions (more than 350 signatures reported by petition organizers), scholarship reliance for extracurriculars and student mental‑health concerns when phones are present. “I hope the board will adopt an away all day policy,” said Abby McCrae, a former teacher and parent who spoke during the visitor comment period.

The EdTech Committee, a group of parents, staff, students and administrators formed earlier this year, recommended keeping the current high‑school rule in place (phones off during instructional time; permitted at brunch and lunch) while preserving an away‑all‑day policy for kindergarten through eighth grade. The committee’s recommendation is before the board for action in a future meeting; state law requires districts to adopt device policies that include teacher discretion and medical/IEP exemptions.

Why it matters: California’s Phone Free Schools Act gives local boards the authority to limit or prohibit student use of mobile devices on campus but includes three statutory requirements the board must incorporate: full teacher discretion for classroom use, allowance for emergency use, and exemptions for documented medical needs (IEPs/504s or doctor’s notes). The committee and speakers repeatedly cited those statutory constraints while urging a stronger district standard.

What the public said: Dozens of parents and staff told the board they want a consistent K–12 standard. Commenters pointed to academic and social research, and described personal incidents — including filmed assaults and persistent social‑media harm — that they said occurred because students had phones available during the school day. Several students, alumni and staff described improved interactions at elementary and middle schools after implementing away‑all‑day rules there.

What the committee and administrators said: Committee members reported outreach to 13 nearby public districts and to principals at multiple high schools that had previously tried away‑all‑day policies. Administrators who adopted away‑all‑day earlier described operational burdens (phone sweeps, an increase in office calls from parents, the need to add clerical time) and fractured relationships with students while the policy was new. Several principals told the district that outcomes varied; some schools later relaxed their policies to allow use at lunch and brunch to reduce classroom infractions and administrative workload.

Board discussion and next steps: Board members noted wide community engagement and conflicting parent views. The EdTech Committee will continue work on social‑media education, implementation logistics, and supports for students with medical or IEP‑based exemptions. The board reached consensus to separate K–8 policy language from the high‑school policy so K–8 revisions can move forward while the board continues discussions about a high‑school standard.

The vote on the full policy is expected at a future meeting; the board discussed procedural timing and implementation concerns, including staffing and enforcement burdens and how exceptions (medical/IEP, emergency access and teacher discretion) would be managed.