articleThe Brief Oakland Unified School District announced on Wednesday that all students will be required to lock up their phones at the start of the school day. The district's ban comes in response to a state law requiring schools to address student cell phone usage by June of this year. The Oakland Unified School District on Wednesday announced that students will no longer be allowed to use their cell phones during or between classes, and during lunch, with some limited exceptions. A letter from superintendent Denise Saddler states that because of a new state law, the Phone Free School Act, the Board of Education voted in June to impose a ban on cell phones during the school day. Oakland Unified School District will provide schools with the resources they need to implement and enforce cell phone-free school days.