Though not an official Hot Topic Poll, one of the hottest topics around is Fresno High’s new cell phone policy.

Fresno High Cell Phone Policy

By Jessenia Varela Gomez

On September 2, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California's new “Phone-Free School Act.” This act was a bill allowing the banning of cell phones during class instructional hours. Although there has always been a “non-enforced rule” over the use of cell phones during school hours, every teacher had their own direction with it. While some teachers mandated a zero-use policy for phones, others did not, which left a divide among the school. With the new law set in place, schools now had to decide how they were going to implement their own policy regarding phones and how they would enforce it.

Fresno High's own Cell Phone Policy Committee is made up of two vice principals, Mr. Arciniega and Mr. Torrez, as well as a mix of volunteer teachers, which include Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Walker, Mr. Nunez, Mr. Beck, Ms. Keledjian, and Mrs. Anthony. They began to look at the cell phone policies of Bullard and the feeder middle schools of Fort Miller, Cooper Academy, and Hamilton K-8 to see what worked and what did not. All Fresno High region schools want to make sure their policies are as close as possible, as students will move up grades with these rules. Instead of Yonder Pouches, Fresno High is looking at having two lock boxes in each classroom. These lock boxes will have numbered slots, and every student will get their own slot with their own key. At the beginning of every class, students will come in and put their phone in the box and then lock it for that period. At the end of class, they can take their key and unlock it for the passing period and lunch.

Along with the plan, the Fresno High committee has also begun to discuss consequences for students who don't comply. If students decide not to comply with putting their phone in the box, then teachers are told to remind the student to make good choices. If they still don't follow instructions, they are put into the next step. A CA will be called and will take the student's device to the office, where it will be placed in a principal's lock box, and a parent will have to collect it after school. If it is still an issue, the students will be put into a program where they must turn in their phone every morning to the office and leave it there all day. Each offense will be documented, and after two times, the student's parents will have to set up a conference to discuss the issue.

The plan will be going into place at the start of the 2025-2026 school year, and notification of the plan will be sent with registration packets, along with a list of non-emergency and emergency events where a parent can call the office to notify a student. They are also recommended to check notifications on Parent Square. Regardless of parents' opinions, this is a California law that will be enforced within each school. Biology teacher Ms. Jaime Anthony says, “Yes, it is a law, but cell phone use is an addiction, so if we don't break this cycle now, the good thinkers of the world will have Jell-O for brains.”

Summer is almost here.

So, who are you staying in contact with over Summer Break? Who makes the cut?