The initial cell phone policy implemented in 2023 by Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) has recently been expanded upon, with the newly implemented rule not allowing students to bring their phones to the bathroom. This response is to a rise in students leaving for the restrooms during class time to use their phones. Foothill Technology High School’s (Foothill Tech) implemented rule allows teachers to confiscate the phones of students before allowing them to leave for the bathroom until they return, and allows all school personnel to confiscate the phones of students that are visible.
Even if the confiscation of phones by school personnel does seem a bit extreme, this reaction from Foothill Tech seems pretty understandable, with the response only taking place because of students taking time out of class to go use the bathroom.
This policy actually encourages learning and consideration for others: with the students who have taken long minutes out of class time to scroll on their phones, making other students who actually need to use the bathroom wait until the person on their phones returns.
In addition, students taking time out to use their phones is a waste of learning time. Depending on how long students spend scrolling on their phones, those who leave class can miss out on important information that is needed in moving on in the curriculum in the class.
Even though this reaction from Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) seems reasonable in regards to actually making a difference in phone usage during school hours, there has been pushback from students. Some especially feel that the lack of warning given before drastic measures were taken to uphold this rule made it a bit extreme. Additionally, some students that bring their phones to the bathroom with them either unconsciously without the intent to use them, or those who plan to watch a YouTube video or two, feel that the school staff’s ability to take the phones of students crosses the line.
Before there is any action taken when caught, however, it starts with teachers who are the enforcers in the classroom. Despite this, it seems the actions being taken inside the classroom are lackluster. Students note that besides teachers not letting them leave with their phones when there is a test or quiz, there is no enforcement of the rules, allowing them to leave class with their phones during normal class periods.
Hoang Nguyen ‘27 shared “I have seen kids come back to get their phones before going to the bathroom.” With no reinforcement from teachers, it does not seem fair to take students’ phones away as a punishment when it should have been reinforced first in the classroom.
And then there’s the other portion of the implemented rules Foothill Tech has put into action, with the E-pod bathrooms being locked during class time and the bathroom doors staying open during class time.
This change to the access to the E-pod bathrooms seems to be due to the lack of administration available to keep a good eye on students going to the restrooms. Yes, this is understandable to have one bathroom closed for lack of administration, but there is a glaring issue with keeping the E-pod bathroom closed.
Keeping E-pod bathrooms closed and keeping the bathroom stalls open still doesn’t fix the problem where students walk straight into the bathrooms, hide their phones in their pockets, and go into a stall to use them. But again if teachers keep letting students go to the bathroom without checking for phones rather than make sure students leave their phones in class, the amount of students leaving class to use their phones will never lower.
If we make sure teachers reinforce the rules to leave phones inside the classroom when leaving the bathrooms, less phones be confiscated and student attendance in class would be higher, allowing Foothill Tech to open up the E-pod bathrooms and actually make a difference in lessening device usage in Foothill Tech.
The new addition to the device policy, as well as the new rules regarding bathroom use during class time seem a bit extreme, though these rules are a proper reaction to the students who continuously use their phones during class time. The confiscation of phones has particularly sparked mixed feelings, but ultimately these rules need to be reinforced due to the lack of trust between students and the school.
