MCSD
Schools, the current phone rules, and what we're proposing.
| School | Enrollment (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Lucas Valley Elementary (TK–5) | ~338 |
| Mary E. Silveira Elementary (TK–5) | ~412 |
| Vallecito Elementary (TK–5) | ~408 |
| Miller Creek Middle School (6–8) | ~593 |
Approximate, based on published state and federal enrollment data, not the district's own current report.
Current policy
Board Policy 5131.8
States that devices "shall be turned off during the school day," but also that students may use them during non-instructional time, subject to site rules.
Policy 5131.8: Mobile Communication Devices →Site rule: off and in backpacks
Phones, smartwatches and earbuds must be turned off and kept in the student's backpack, not on their person, during the instructional day.
District policy last revised 2020 as posted in MCSD's Board Policy Manual, October 2026. Middle school rule per the 2026–27 MCMS Student and Parent Handbook.
Under both rules, phones stay within students' reach all day. Students can still use them at lunch, between classes, on a bathroom break, or even check them in class against the rules if they choose to — compliance depends on students resisting the temptation on their own and on staff policing it.
Nationally, teachers at schools with similar "out of sight" rules reported that about 61% of students still used phones in class, until they moved to a "phones out of reach" rule.
Source: Allcott et al., NBER, 2026.
What we're proposing
Personal devices secured and inaccessible from first bell to last bell, at every MCSD school.
Classroom collection
Phones go into a classroom collection system (a caddy, cabinet or box) at the start of the day, stay under the teacher's control, and come back at dismissal.
Secured all day
Phones secured and inaccessible for the whole school day, using pouches or cases, supervised collection, or lockers. The district and staff choose the method.
| District policy today | Miller Creek Middle today | Proposed, all schools | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time covered | Unclear: "off during the school day," but use permitted outside class time | "Instructional day"; lunch not specified | First bell to last bell |
| Storage | Unsecured | Unsecured | Secured |
| Access | Yes (lunch, breaks) | Yes (lunch, breaks) | No |
| Enforcement | Continuous, by staff | Continuous, by staff | Once, at collection; and exceptions |
| Attention | Distraction urge remains | Distraction urge remains | Distraction urge reduced |
| Consistency | Varies by school | Site rule; differs from district policy | One rule, all schools, all day |
| Exceptions | Emergency, staff permission, physician-documented need, IEP | Emergency, staff permission, physician-documented need, IEP | Emergency, staff permission, physician-documented need, IEP |
| Standard met | Ambiguous; accessible storage | Instructional day, accessible storage | Bell-to-bell, inaccessible storage |
"Bell-to-bell" and "accessible vs. inaccessible storage" follow the grading framework used by the Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Why elementary schools need a policy now
Until recently, elementary schools rarely needed phone rules, because young children rarely had phones. That has changed.
In 2015, most U.S. kids didn't get a phone until age 14. By 2019, more than half had a smartphone by age 11. Today, one in four have their own cellphone by age 8. Children are getting phones steadily younger, and a clear policy is easiest to set before phones become common in our elementary classrooms, not after.
Sources: Common Sense Census, 2019; Common Sense Census, 2025.
What state law now requires
AB 3216, the Phone-Free Schools Act, requires every California district to develop and adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting student smartphone use by July 1, 2026, and to update it every five years. The law sets the policy's goal as evidence-based practice that supports student learning and well-being, and requires that it be developed with significant participation from students, parents and educators.
The currently posted district policy appears to have been last revised in June 2020, but a more recent policy may exist. We look forward to confirming the current policy and hopefully taking part in the stakeholder process the law calls for.