Mobile Device Policy
Updated Mobile Device Policy Now in Effect
In May 2025, the San Juan Unified Board of Education approved an updated policy (Board Policy 5131.8) regarding the use of mobile communication devices, including cellphones, in schools. The revised policy is in effect for the 2025–26 school year.
The updated policy reinforces the district’s commitment to maintaining focused and distraction-free learning environments while still allowing students to use mobile devices for educational purposes under staff supervision. It outlines when and how mobile devices may be used during the school day and provides guidance on enforcement and exceptions.
View Board Policy 5131.8 – Mobile Communication Devices
For questions, please contact your school site administrator.
More than 700 shared feedback!
A big thank you to those who were able to take a few moments to share your feedback on our draft mobile device policy. We're going through your feedback now and will use it to inform possible revisions to the draft before it's considered by the board of education in May. You can still access the draft policy that was shared for feedback using the link below. A summary report of feedback collected will be available shortly.
What We Heard When We Started
Nearly 5,000 students, parents/guardians, staff members and others shared their thinking in January and February in a ThoughtExchange, sharing more than 3,600 thoughts and more than 64,000 star ratings. The exchange revealed themes:
- Distraction and Focus: Many of you said that mobile devices can distract students and make it hard for them to focus on schoolwork.
- Safety and Communication: Participants also stressed that it is important for students to have their devices for safety reasons, especially in emergencies.
- Privacy and Cyberbullying: Some of you are worried about privacy and the risk of cyberbullying when students use their devices without limits.
- Consistency and Enforcement: Many want clear and consistent rules for all schools and grade levels to make sure the rules are fair and followed by everyone.
Ultimately, the voice of our community emphasized the need for clear and consistent policy regarding the use of mobile devices with a balanced focus on the learning environment and the necessity of having devices available in emergencies.