San Mateo Union High School District trustees will hear an update on the district’s phone ban when the board meets Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.

The board will also vote on a Memorandum of Understanding with Design Tech High School, a public charter school in Redwood City that enrolls about 550 students. The district’s meeting summary does not describe the agreement’s scope or terms. The summary lists the item under Human Resources, and prior board records show the district has approved Design Tech teacher-induction services and annual budgets in recent years.

The phone policy, which the board developed in March to comply with California's Phone-Free School Act, took effect Aug. 12. It requires students at all district high schools to lock phones, smartwatches, AirPods and other personal mobile devices in school-provided pouches or containers for the entire school day. San Mateo High uses Yondr pouches, according to the district’s policy page. Students use school-issued Chromebooks instead of personal devices during class, with exceptions for approved accommodations or teacher or administrator authorization.

The policy includes exemptions for students whose approved accommodations require device access. Violations can lead to penalties ranging from temporary confiscation to daily phone check-in at the office or a prohibition on bringing the device to campus.

In a September interview with the Aragon Outlook, Aragon High School assistant principal David Moore said staff had reported positive results. "Students at lunch and brunch are socializing more, which is healthy, and during class, they are less distracted," Moore said at the time.

But a teacher flagged logistical problems. Victoria Daniel, an English and AVID teacher at Aragon, told the Outlook in September that the rollout felt rushed. She said the biggest confusion involved whether students still on campus after their last class could use their phones.

The meeting summary also includes a vote to approve the 2026-2027 American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) salary schedule. Trustees will also consider increasing the district's Multilingual Learners Programs Coordinator position from 0.4 to 1.0 full-time equivalent and revising Board Policy 4318.4 on the salary program.

The meeting takes place at 650 N. Delaware St., San Mateo. Residents can also join by Zoom (Webinar ID: 955 8452 1141, Passcode: 995656) or email comments to [email protected].