A new cell phone management policy has been implemented at Del Mar High School by the Campbell Union High School District for the 2025-2026 school year asking for all students to put their personal electronic devices away in their backpacks during class time.
Principal Diana Nguyen enforced this policy and called it a focused new start to the school year with the goal of creating a distraction-free environment for students to thrive academically.
Nguyen released a statement through Parentsquare at the beginning of the academic year informing the school community of the new policies.
She explained that without phones, student engagement and collaboration will increase, students will participate in class discussions willingly and as a result, better academic performance will be achieved.
Teachers are finding the new system easy to work with and helpful for regulating the classroom.
“It’s relatively easy. It’s a much easier system than having to call or having, like, a lengthy form,” said Maggie Rabasca, AP Calculus and IM3 teacher.
Rabasca explains that teachers are expected to follow specific guidelines for when students have their phones out in class.
“We are supposed to confiscate the phone, write the student’s name and the class period [on a paper bag], and we staple it,” said Rabasca. “Admin comes to pick up the phone and deliver it to the office […] admin is notified [through] a form that we submit.”
The policy states there are two different procedures which students must follow to get their phone back. For first-time incidents, students will be able to pick up their device from the office at the end of the school day and parents or guardians will be contacted. After the second incident, a parent or guardian must pick up the device and the student will receive a disciplinary referral.
This policy is a big change from previous years, however, Rabasca believes that over time, students will adapt to keeping their phones away during class.
She reports that there has already been improvement in student attention and focus, especially in her calculus class. Students are understanding the rules and there have been less problems with phone usage during instructional periods.
“I am not having the same issues with students missing large parts of the lesson because they were on their phone instead,” said Rabasca. “The grades were better on the first unit test than they were in the first unit test at this time last year.”
Like Rabasca, other teachers are noticing the same improvements in their classroom.
Avid and IB Language and Literature teacher Vicki Braithwaite, comments on the improved focus and engagement from students.
Braithwaite describes how she has always been strict about cell phones, however, since the new policy she has had fewer interactions with students about phones.
She believes the policy rules should be stricter by implementing phone pouches, in order to set future students up for success.
“I have friends who work at other schools where they have implemented those pouches […] and those teachers report that the social interaction capability of the students has gone up dramatically,” said Braithwaite.
Students are also noticing the positive outcomes and benefits from this policy.
“I had a big problem last year with phone usage, and I would just doom scroll in all my classes. I got three C’s. My grades have improved,” said Ian Campbell when asked about the effect on his learning.
Campbell also appreciates how the policy allows students to keep their phones close by, in case of emergencies or if they are needed for school purposes.
Sophomore Romeo Moran shares a similar insight.
“It’s a good thing because, you know, phones are distractions. People need to have them in their pockets at all times,” said Moran.
Conversely, freshman Shane Sarsfield agrees but argues that exceptions should be made for non-English speaking students.
“But sometimes, you know, foreign exchange students, they should have them so they can talk to the teachers,” said Sarsfield.
It is unknown how this year’s policy will be upheld in the future, however, changes in the classroom are apparent. Students and teachers both recognize the overall improvement in academic performance since the implementation of the cell phone policy.