State Lifts Ban on Cell Phone Use at Schools

California students may be able to take their cell phones and pagers to school legally, under legislation signed this week by Gov. Gray Davis.

The action reverses a statewide ban on cell phones and other “electronic signaling devices” enacted in the 1980s to stop on-campus drug dealing. But the new law allows school boards to decide whether to permit cell phones on their campuses or to restrict their use.

Opponents of the ban say the legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont), merely recognizes reality. In recent years, students across the state have flouted the law. “By allowing school districts to let its students use cell phones and pagers, families can communicate better and students can feel a greater sense of security while at school,” Davis said in a statement.

The legislation followed three grass-roots repeal efforts. The principal at Monroe High School in North Hills announced last year that he would no longer enforce the law. A leadership class at Logan High School in Union City urged Figueroa to submit a bill. La Canada’s school board also urged repeal. La Canada High School was evacuated Sept. 11 because of its proximity to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, feared to be a terrorist target. The youths’ cell phones were essential to evacuating all 1,200 students in half an hour.