More than 429,000 students in the nation’s second-largest school district are prohibited from using cell phones and social media platforms during the school day after the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a ban on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted 5-2 to pass a resolution that would require students to adopt a policy within 120 days banning students from using cell phones and social media platforms throughout the school day. The policy, which will be implemented districtwide, is expected to take effect in January, according to the board.

“I think we’re going to be a leader here and the students and the whole city and the whole country will benefit,” said board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the resolution.

With this move, educators hope to curb distractions in the classroom and protect students’ mental health. K-12 teachers in the U.S. are increasingly facing problems with their students’ cell phone use. One-third of teachers say phone distraction is a “major problem in their classroom,” according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in fall 2023.

On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed support for efforts to restrict cellphone use in schools across the state. Newsom had already signed a law in 2019 that allowed districts to restrict or ban smartphone use in schools, but did not require it.

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The governor echoed comments made by U.S. Health Secretary Vivek Murthy in a New York Times opinion piece published Monday. Murthy called for safety warnings – similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products – on social media platforms and cited what he called an “emergency” in the mental health of young people.

“As the Surgeon General confirmed, social media is damaging the mental health of our youth,” Newsom said in a statement Tuesday. “Building on the legislation I signed in 2019, I look forward to working with lawmakers to limit smartphone use during the school day. When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies – not their screens.”

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“Full-time job as telephone police”

The Los Angeles ban expands on an existing policy that prohibits “the use of cell phones, pagers, or other electronic signaling devices by students on campus during normal class hours or school activities, except during student lunch or meal periods.” The current policy was implemented in 2011.

The Los Angeles Unified School District board said the updated policy will require school officials to consider ways to store cell phones, such as locked bags or lockers during school hours. Officials will also need to consider age- and grade-appropriate policies, as well as what exceptions should be made for students with learning or physical disabilities.

The ban has drawn mixed reactions from school administrators, parents and students, who have expressed concerns about student responsibility, safety and communication, as well as widespread enforcement of the rule, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Board member George McKenna voted against the resolution, expressing concerns that the policy would be too restrictive. Board member Scott Schmerelson also voted against the resolution, saying it was unclear whether the ban would be implemented outside of school hours and questioned who would enforce the policy.

“I think being a telephone police officer is going to be a full-time job,” Schmerelson said.

Supporters of the ban said a similar measure at a district middle school had improved the learning environment on campus, The Times reported.

Board members supporting the ban wrote in their agenda that research “shows that limiting cell phone use and social media access during the school day improves academic performance and has a positive impact on students’ mental health.” They added that research has shown a link between cell phone addiction and increased rates of anxiety and cyberbullying.

Mobile phone bans in other federal states, schools

Parents and educators across the country are increasingly concerned about the impact of cell phones on young people, including distractions in the classroom and potential mental health problems. As of the 2021-2022 school year, more than 76% of public schools in grades K-12 will ban cell phone use in non-academic settings, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

But in recent years, lawmakers have been considering laws restricting smartphone use in schools. Last year, Florida became the first state to ban students from using cell phones during class and block them from accessing social media over school Wi-Fi.

In March, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed a law banning students from using phones and other wireless devices in the classroom. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a similar law in May that requires school districts to establish policies on cellphone use during school hours.

As USA TODAY previously reported, lawmakers in at least eight states have been considering passing similar legislation since June.

Contributors: Sara Chernikoff and Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Los Angeles school district approves cell phone and social media ban