A recent survey conducted by the William S. Hart Union High School District shows that an overwhelming majority of students are not in favor of cell phone use being restricted for the entire school day, but more would be amenable to a softer ban.  Of the 2,345 students who responded to the question, “Do you think cell phone use should be restricted for the entire school day at the high schools,” 97.4% of them said they did not. But when asked if there should be some restrictions in classrooms, 35.1% of the 2,338 students who responded agreed.  On Wednesday, the Hart district governing board is set to discuss the results of the survey, which was also sent to parents and staff, and how they can be used to help develop a policy restricting cell phone usage during the school day.  Such a policy will be mandated for all school districts starting July 1, 2026, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3216 earlier this year.  No action will be taken at Wednesday’s meeting.  According to the presentation set to be delivered on Wednesday, overuse of cell phones can lead to declines in both mental and physical health, relationships and academic performance.  Junior highs in the Hart district currently have policies directing students to keep cell phones put away while on campus, except for some students who need to use them for medical issues. No such policy exists at the district level for high schools, though some have their own versions at the site level.  A couple of days after Newsom signed AB 3216, the Hart district governing board discussed current practices when it comes to cell phones. Interim Superintendent Michael Vierra said principals wanted to note that older students have more responsibilities for which they may need their cell phones. Many of the older students have jobs, need to communicate with family members in other schools or they are involved in extracurricular activities they need to be updated on.  Maya Yiadom, a Valencia High School senior and the student board member, said at that meeting that students she has spoken to have said there is an issue with spending too much time on phones, but that all students need to have a chance to have input, not just student leaders.  Those students got their chance through the survey, as did parents and staff.  Of the roughly 3,360 parents who responded to the survey, 81.5% agreed that there should be some restrictions at high schools, but only 36.3% of them agreed that the restrictions should be for the entire day.  Some of the common themes that emerged from that survey from parents were safety and emergency concerns, social skills and interaction, and communication needs.  There were about 530 staff members who responded to the survey. Of those, 97.2% agreed that restrictions are needed, while 49.4% felt that restrictions should span the entire school day.  For staff members, enforcement challenges and classroom distractions were part of the common themes included in the presentation.  Common themes were also collected from the student responses. Those included safety concerns, responsibility and maturity, supporting limiting restrictions and teacher discretion.  Wednesday’s governing board meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. at the Hart district administrative office, located at 21380 Centre Pointe Parkway.  The post Survey: Overwhelming majority of Hart district students against cell phone ban  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.