Palm Springs Unified Students Head Back to Class

Thousands of Palm Springs Unified School District students are back in class this morning for the first day of the 2026-2027 school year, and this year they're following new rules that limit smartphone use during the school day.

The policy comes from a state law, the Phone-Free Schools Act, which requires districts to limit or ban smartphone use by July 1, 2026. PSUSD's Board of Education adopted the policy to cut down on distractions and help students focus during class.

Elementary students must keep phones off or silenced and stored away, in a backpack or a classroom storage system, all day. Middle and high schoolers must keep phones off or silenced during class and passing periods, but they can use them at lunch. The rules also cover smartwatches, AirPods and smart glasses during class time.

The district is trying to ease parents' worries about safety and communication. Omar Tinoco, principal at Desert Hot Springs High School, said students will still have access to their phones if something comes up.

"We know that parents are worried about emergencies, but their students will still have the cell phones. If there's an emergency, they can still contact them," Tinoco said. "This is really just to help them focus in class and focus more on the lessons."

Phones can still be used during emergencies, when a teacher or administrator approves it for a lesson, when a doctor says a student needs it for a health reason, or when it's part of a student's individualized education program. In addition, the district wants to remind parents that they will keep parents updated directly if an emergency happens.

PSUSD is also rolling out a new AI-powered text messaging system this year to notify parents when a student is marked absent. Families will be automatically enrolled, and the first messages are expected to go out near the end of August.

More details on the phone policy and other back-to-school information are available on PSUSD's website.