Modesto City Schools officially passes full-day cell phone ban
The Modesto City Schools Board of Education officially passed its all-day cellphone ban for students of all grade levels.
The action was taken during the board’s June 8 meeting, and the ban will go into effect for the 2026-27 school year. It includes cell phones, smartwatches and headphones.
The ban, introduced in late March, encompasses the entirety of the instructional school day, including lunch, recess and passing periods. While students may have their phones on campus, they must be stored away and can be accessed only before the school day begins or once it’s over.
Students will be allowed to use their phones under these circumstances:
- In the case of a schoolwide emergency or threat
- If they’ve been granted permission from a teacher or employee
- If a physician or surgeon determines that phone use is necessary for a student’s health or well-being
- Or if it’s deemed necessary within a student’s IEP.
Students caught using their mobile devices on campus during the school day will have them temporarily confiscated by a district employee. No mobile devices will be searched without parental consent unless a warrant has been issued, an emergency posing physical danger requires a phone search, or for reasons that fall under Penal Code 1546.1.
For students in the TK-8 grade levels, the first and second offenses require a parent to pick up the confiscated phone at the end of the school day and send the student to the office, while the third offense additionally requires a parent conference.
For high school students, the first offense simply requires the student to pick up the confiscated cell phone at the end of the day. The second offense requires a parent to pick up the confiscated phone. The third offense requires the parent to pick up the confiscated phone and a parent conference.
