Ramona Unified School District trustees approved revisions to a mobile communication devices policy that will allow high school students to use their cell phones during lunch and passing periods.

Trustees voted 3-1 in favor of the new policy at their Feb. 12 meeting, with Maya Phillips opposed and Rodger Dohm absent.

Expectations for elementary and middle school students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade are to keep their devices off or in silent mode at all times during the school day. In the lower grades, “devices must be put away at all times while students are on campus or participating in school-sponsored activities, including recess, passing periods, lunch, instructional time, and off-campus events such as field trips,” states the approved board policy.

But in the upper grades of 9-12, cell phones may be used during the lunch break and briefly checked or used for essential communications during the six-minute passing period window between classes, according to the policy.

Devices may be used during the school day if expressly authorized by staff for specific educational purposes in all grades, but they may not interfere with student safety, campus supervision or timely arrival to class, the policy states.

Phillips said at the meeting that she preferred Option 1, which did not allow devices to be used or accessed during lunch or any lunchtime activity in grades 9-12 but they could be checked or briefly used during the transition to and from lunch.

She said Option 2, which was approved by the board, prioritizes student convenience and preferences over student well-being because it allows mobile communications during lunchtime.

Phillips shared a photo accompanying a Ramona Sentinel article about the proposed policy that she said demonstrates how cell phone use at lunch can isolate students “in their own bubbles.”

“Of course, many students want their phones, they’re addictive,” she said. “But our responsibility is to act in the best interests of students, not validate harmful habits.”

Trustee Dawn Perfect said students use mobile devices for a variety of purposes during lunch and she does not think there is a need to regulate every minute of their use. She said she prefers to give students in the upper grades the autonomy to make decisions for themselves.

“We can always look at this down the road and if changes are needed, we can revisit or revise it,” Perfect said. “I’m satisfied with the information presented in the agenda tonight.”

Cori McDonald, the Ramona Teachers Association president and a librarian at Ramona High School, asked the trustees to offer guidance to staff on how to implement the new policy because she said it does affect staff members’ daily interactions with students.

The new policy was developed in response to Assembly Bill 3216, which requires the governing board to adopt, and every five years review, a policy limiting or prohibiting student smartphone use while on school grounds or under district supervision by July 1, 2026.

The policy is designed to address several concerns associated with cell phone use at school, including anxiety, social disengagement and safety issues such as filming fights, said Kerri Bjork, director of the district’s multi-tiered support systems (MTSS).

“While the policy does not explicitly reference every scenario, it restricts device use that interferes with student well-being, privacy and campus safety,” Bjork wrote in an email. “The policy also acknowledges that unrestricted cell phone use during the school day can negatively impact instruction, social-emotional well-being, school safety and campus culture.”

The policy aligns with current expectations that were already in place at school sites, Bjork added. These expectations were first formally implemented by site administrators at elementary schools and Olive Peirce Middle School during the 2023-24 school year, and at Ramona High School during the 2024-25 school year, she said.