Carlsbad Unified formalizes cellphone restrictions

The district becomes the first in North County, and likely San Diego County, to implement formalize the practice of restricting cellphones for all students

CARLSBAD — The first day of school was met with a new policy and the possibility of a new experience for its students.

The Carlsbad Unified School District rolled out its new rules formalizing the practice of restricting cellphone use on school campuses after the Board of Trustees approved the changes in April. Students are not allowed to access their phones while in class or during “instructional time,” although how phones will be stored is up to each school, CUSD Superintendent Ben Churchill said.

The policy also extends to smartwatches, pagers or other mobile devices for high school students unless they are needed for learning, according to the guidelines. He said the move was made to increase attention during class, connections with other students and more.

CSUD is one of two districts in North County, Vista being the other, to have implemented a policy regulating cellphone use on a more strict level. Other districts have district-level policies in place, although the CUSD Board of Trustees appears to be the first to officially restrict cellphones.

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Trustees voted last month to ban cellphones on all campuses, according to media reports, while San Diego Unified is also considering formalizing the practice of limiting cellphone use.

“We heard loud and clear from both parents and school staff that phones were becoming more and more of a distraction,” Churchill said. “So, it made sense for us to try something new this year. We’re excited for the potential culture changes on our campuses and we’re really excited that students will have fewer distractions and more opportunities to connect with one another.”