Can students bring a phone to campus?

Yes, students may bring a phone to campus. The phone must be off and out of sight for the entirety of the academic school day. Students may use their phones before the first class of the day and after the final class of the day.

Does this policy include other wearable technology?

Yes, earpods/earphones and smart glasses are included in the policy and are not allowed during the school day.. Earpods/earphones will be allowed in designated spaces for academic needs. Smartwatches are allowed so long as they are not connected to an active or powered-on cell phone. Smartwatches are never allowed in test-taking environments.

How do I connect with my child during the school day?

The school will provide a simple mechanism to facilitate contact for parents/guardians who need to connect with their student.

If cell phones are used for emergency response, how will students be alerted in the event of an emergency?

Jesuit employs a layered, research‑based approach to crisis communication designed to deliver timely, accurate information while maintaining a safe and controlled campus environment. Under the leadership of the School Safety Team, which includes members of the school leadership, security, facilities, and communications departments, emergency communication and activation plans have been carefully developed, regularly reviewed, and coordinated with local law enforcement partners, whose personnel are prepared to work alongside the school in the event of an emergency.

These plans rely on established communication systems, including the campus public address system and interclassroom phones/radios. School website pop-ups and email notifications are also made.  Externally, automated text and robo‑call alerts are made, and messaging is mirrored on social media to inform parents/guardians. 

Consistent with national school safety guidance and emergency management best practices, student cell phones should not be used as a primary mechanism for emergency communication. Research shows that limiting student use of personal devices during emergencies helps reduce misinformation and panic, allowing students, staff, and emergency responders to focus on clear directives and coordinated response efforts. This approach supports effective communication, unified action, and overall campus safety.

Is there a place on campus where a student can use a cell phone?

Yes. A space outside the Dean’s Office will be designated for students to use their cell phones. 

My child relies on a cell phone for medical monitoring. Will there be an exception in these cases?

Yes. Students with documented medical needs that require the use of a personal device—such as glucose monitoring, cardiac rhythm, seizure recording, or other medical monitoring —will be granted permission to use their cell phone during the school day. These situations are handled thoughtfully and confidentially on a case‑by‑case basis in coordination with the Dean’s Office and the student’s family.

Approved medical‑use devices are intended solely to support the student’s health and safety and will be accommodated in a way that minimizes disruption while ensuring the student’s medical needs are fully met. Families with questions or with documentation to provide are encouraged to contact the Dean’s Office directly so that appropriate accommodations can be made. 

What are the consequences when students violate the policy?

Students will face escalating disciplinary consequences, starting with detention/JUG. The details will be outlined in the updated 2026-27 Parent Student Handbook to be published this summer. 

Can a cell phone be on the student’s person or must it be in a backpack, car, or locker?

During the school day, students must turn their cell phone off and keep them in a backpack, vehicle, or locker. It may not be on their person during the school day. 

When will the formal policy be shared?

Using our regular process for updating school policy, we will share the policy language over the summer when we publish the 2026-27 Parent-Student Handbook.

What informed the school’s decision to move to a cell phone-free school day?

The primary motivation for examining cell phone use at school has been grounded in the day‑to‑day experience of faculty and staff working closely with students, as personal devices have become an increasingly embedded presence on campus. 

Recognizing the impact of constant connectivity on student learning, well‑being, and community life, members of school leadership, faculty, and staff began an informal inquiry in 2023 and moved to a more formal inquiry in 2024, focused on how best to foster a positive school culture aligned with our educational mission. This local work has taken place alongside a broader statewide conversation, as California public and charter schools have also been examining school‑day phone use following the passage of related legislation.

Over the past two and a half years, this inquiry has been shaped by a thoughtful review of current research, national conversations in education, and dialogue with peer institutions, including:

• Select group engaged in a book study and watched a webinar on The Anxious Generation Movement: A Call for K-12 School Leaders
• A larger group engaged in a book study reviewing iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood–and What That Means for the Rest of Us (Jean Twenge)
• Full Jesuit faculty/staff webinar with author Jean Twenge
• Webinar hosted by UC/CSU/UCLA titled Rethinking School Phone Policies: Supporting Student Learning and Health through Developmental Science. 
• Regular dialogue (including some school visits) with stakeholders at other Jesuit High Schools that have implemented a phone-free policy:
  • St. Ignatius Cleveland 
  • Cristo Rey Sacramento
  • Loyola High School of Los Angeles
  • Jesuit Portland 
  • Bellarmine Tacoma.