Petaluma City Schools trustees on June 24 opted to table approval of Board Policy 5131.8 (mobile communication devices) after an extended discussion about enforcement, off-campus lunch, extracurricular activities and the timeline for implementing an accompanying administrative regulation (AR).

The policy brought to the board for a second read was described as drawing from the California School Boards Association (CSBA) model language and intentionally broad; staff said program details and enforcement guidance would be set in an AR created with a cell phone committee. Trustees and staff debated whether the board should adopt the policy now and finalize an AR later, or wait until the AR offered clear, site-level implementation steps and consequence guidelines.

Key concerns raised
Trustees and staff raised several recurring concerns: how violations would be handled at different schools and classrooms; whether phones would be confiscated or simply prohibited during instructional time; how off-campus lunch and extracurricular activities would be managed; how students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or medical needs would be accommodated; and whether the committee could finish an AR in time for a consistent rollout before the 2025–26 school year.

Timing and next steps
District staff indicated the AR was not ready in June and that the earliest practical timeline for a detailed implementation plan would likely be July or August, with full policy enforcement clarified and potentially phased in for the 2026–27 school year. Trustees moved to table the policy until the July 22 board meeting to allow the cell phone committee and site administrators time to finalize implementation guidance and draft AR language for review.

The motion to table passed on a trustee vote. Trustees asked staff to return in July with a preliminary implementation plan or draft AR so principals, teachers and families would have clearer guidance before school starts.

Public input and context
Board members noted prior local practices: cell phone limits already existed at some elementary and middle sites and the district planned to standardize practice across sites. Several trustees urged that any policy be accompanied by straightforward, commonly encountered enforcement scenarios and clear communications for staff and families.

The board's action postponed a formal district-wide prohibition at instructional time until trustees receive and consider the AR and an implementation plan at the next regular board meeting.