SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL in Anaheim has gotten a jump on a state bill Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign into law that would limit or prohibit smartphones at all public schools during the school day.
SERVITE STUDENTS ENJOY LUNCHTIME ACTIVITIES RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON THEIR PHONES. PHOTOS BY VALERIE CASTILLO/SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL
When students at the all-boys Catholic high school in Anaheim reported to the first day of classes on Aug. 12, they did so without packing their latest iPhone, Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy devices.
“Overall, I approve of the no-phone policy even though it has obvious cons,” said Servite student ambassador Michael Ghebrial, Class of 2026. “I feel as if my friends are more present unlike before, where they’d be scrolling through social media and show each other random videos occasionally.”
Because of the new policy, Michael has gone “old school.”
He now carries a notepad in his pocket to keep a to-do list and to write down stuff he needs to tell his parents and siblings that he can’t text while at school.
A HEALTHIER SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
The new Servite policy followed a summer reading assignment faculty and staff did of Jonathon Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation,” which details how smartphones and other devices are leading to an increase in youth mental illness.
“At Servite High School, we are committed to fostering an environment where our students can thrive academically, socially and emotionally,” Principal Nancy Windisch said of the new policy. “As part of this commitment, we are excited to announce our new Phone-Free Campus initiative during the academic day.
“Recent studies, including insights from ‘The Anxious Generation,’ have highlighted the impact of constant digital engagement on young people’s mental health and well-being,” Windisch added. “Haidt’s research underscores the importance of reducing screen time to help students develop deeper connections, improve focus and reduce anxiety.
“By creating a phone-free campus,” the Service principal continued, “we aim to encourage our students to engage more fully in their learning, build stronger relationships with their peers and teachers and develop the essential life skills that will serve them well beyond their time at Servite High School.
“We believe that this initiative will contribute to a more mindful and balanced school experience, allowing our students to flourish in all areas of their lives.”
NEW STATE LAW LIKELY COMING
The Phone-Free Schools Act, a bipartisan bill, would require all California public schools to devise a smartphone policy to keep the devices out of classrooms by July 1, 2026.
As the academic year began, Gov. Newsom urged educators to enact restrictions, citing the “mental health, scholastic and social risks” of phone use in classrooms, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times.
California would be the fifth state to require school districts to limit students’ phone usage, joining Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia.
The Phone-Free Schools Act would allow schools to use “enforcement mechanisms” to limit smartphone access, such as in-class lockers and individual locking pouches, The Times reported.
The bill also includes a few exceptions — schools cannot prohibit students from using phones for individualized instruction, medical necessity and in emergencies.
A teacher or administrator can also grant permission.
Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second-largest school district, recently approved plans to ban phones in January 2025.
A Pew Research Center survey released in June 2024 found that 1 in 3 middle school teachers and nearly 3 in 4 high school teachers call smartphones a major problem.
During school hours in a single day, the average student receives 60 notifications and spends 43 minutes — roughly the length of a classroom period — on their phone, according to a 2023 study by Common Sense Media, The Times reported.
LEARNING RESTRAINT
Mike Marshall, a social science teacher and hockey coach at Servite, believes the new policy will help “model and form” students.
“We value the need to teach students how to function without the phone,” he said. “I think it will take time, but it will help students to focus on what they are at school for: both social and academic development. “We are not just here to teach them the curriculum, but also form them into faith-filled, fully present leaders,” Marshall added. “I believe we are setting them up for this success by creating the habit of breaking free from the phone.”
Aidan Sullivan, a senior and treasurer general of the Class of 2025, said he’s learned restraint when it comes to his smartphone.
“It was a hard adjustment at first,” he said, “but I think, despite my being a ‘screenager,’ it has been beneficial for me. Our school has been good at introducing this policy gradually as well, even starting last year with the no-phone notices to now where it is an active policy.”
NOT HAPPY
Servite parent Maya Alvarez said her son isn’t thrilled about the new policy.
“As a teenage boy,” she said, “he doesn’t like being told what he can and cannot do.” But Alvarez added that she’s grateful that Servite students are given the opportunity to interact without smartphones.
“This policy will help the boys learn how to make eye contact, ask questions, provide appropriate responses, engage in humorous exchanges and show empathy – all skills that they fail to develop when the cell phone becomes a primary socialization tool,” she said.
FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATIONS
Catherine Venturini, a Servite parent and president of the Servite Parent Community Council, said the new policy has been a big adjustment for her son, Aiden Dauger, a senior, but that he realizes its benefits.
“This year will be a good test to see if their smartphone behaviors change both in and out of school,” Venturini noted.
Said “old school” Michael: “What I hope happens is that the students realize the benefit of not having their phones out all the time and eventually are allowed to use their phones, but that they exercise self-control to not have them out all the time. “Seeing my fellow students talking face-to-face during breaks and in halls between classes is marvelous and I hope this continues.”