Smartphone addiction in school
By Cian Kelly and Wes Fitzpatrick
Tamalpais Union High School District Board of Trustee's opinions on phone addiction
Kevin Saavedra voted YES in favor of phone-free schools
Jennifer Holden voted NO against phone-free schools
"I don't want to let perfect be the enemy of the good."
"I think we as a board… have a big responsibility for the students, for their well‑being and for their education."
“We’re absolutely in a tech world, but that doesn’t mean school has to be [a place] where kids are on a device all day."
"I’m not debating the science. I think we should move to a bell‑to‑bell ban."
Emily Uhlhorn voted YES in favor of phone-free schools
Ida Green voted NO against phone-free schools
"We’re committing educational malpractice by not having [stronger restriction on phones]."
Cynthia Roenisch voted YES in favor of phone-free schools
Board Trustee Kevin Saavedra
“I don't want to let perfect be the enemy of the good. The evidence is clear, and I think we should be doing as much as we can to get these phones… let's liberate the students of their phones during the school day," Saavedra said during a board meeting on October 28, 2025. "We have to establish policies relative to things like that. And those, both of those, I think, are going to have a profound impact," Saavedra said during a February 2026 interview.
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board Trustee Jennifer Holden
"We are responsible not only for the academic well‑being and the emotional and mental well‑being of the students during the school day, we are also responsible for the financial well‑being of the district,” Holden said during a board meeting on April 14, 2026. "I have seen lawsuits come in and have been won against [major tech companies]... The way those lawsuits have been won is because they are on record saying that they understand the three universal truths [about smartphone addiction], and yet they still went ahead and continued everything they were doing... I think we would be so negligent if we didn't [mitigate phone addiction]. We'd be not only negligent to the students, but negligent to the financial well-being of our district."
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board Trustee Emily Uhlhorn
"I think the research is clear… I don’t think that the additional limitation at lunch and in passing periods will help so much," Holden said during a board meeting on October 28, 2025. "I’m concerned the unintended consequences around this will be serious… I’m still in that place where I don’t think that Yondr pouches are the solution. I would really want to know what the need is as perceived from an educational perspective."
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board Trustee Ida Green
"When I first… joined this board, one of the things that was asked of trustees is to not have our cell phones out. That is a great practice, and it is a practice that I really had to lean into, quite frankly," Green said during a board meeting on October 28, 2025. "I think it is true, we are in an instant‑gratification society… everybody's on TikTok, Snapchat, whatever those other things that you young people use… because you can find it really quickly.”
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board President cynthia roenisch
"My own personal opinion is we are committing educational malpractice if we don't ban phones for the whole [day]. I don't think we can say we care about kids... if we don't ban phones for the day," Roenisch said during a board meeting on March 24, 2026. "I think any educator has to admit [phones are] addictive and it interrupts student learning."
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
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Transcript
Smartphone addiction in school
By Cian Kelly and Wes Fitzpatrick
Tamalpais Union High School District Board of Trustee's opinions on phone addiction
Kevin Saavedra voted YES in favor of phone-free schools
Jennifer Holden voted NO against phone-free schools
"I don't want to let perfect be the enemy of the good."
"I think we as a board… have a big responsibility for the students, for their well‑being and for their education."
“We’re absolutely in a tech world, but that doesn’t mean school has to be [a place] where kids are on a device all day."
"I’m not debating the science. I think we should move to a bell‑to‑bell ban."
Emily Uhlhorn voted YES in favor of phone-free schools
Ida Green voted NO against phone-free schools
"We’re committing educational malpractice by not having [stronger restriction on phones]."
Cynthia Roenisch voted YES in favor of phone-free schools
Board Trustee Kevin Saavedra
“I don't want to let perfect be the enemy of the good. The evidence is clear, and I think we should be doing as much as we can to get these phones… let's liberate the students of their phones during the school day," Saavedra said during a board meeting on October 28, 2025. "We have to establish policies relative to things like that. And those, both of those, I think, are going to have a profound impact," Saavedra said during a February 2026 interview.
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board Trustee Jennifer Holden
"We are responsible not only for the academic well‑being and the emotional and mental well‑being of the students during the school day, we are also responsible for the financial well‑being of the district,” Holden said during a board meeting on April 14, 2026. "I have seen lawsuits come in and have been won against [major tech companies]... The way those lawsuits have been won is because they are on record saying that they understand the three universal truths [about smartphone addiction], and yet they still went ahead and continued everything they were doing... I think we would be so negligent if we didn't [mitigate phone addiction]. We'd be not only negligent to the students, but negligent to the financial well-being of our district."
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board Trustee Emily Uhlhorn
"I think the research is clear… I don’t think that the additional limitation at lunch and in passing periods will help so much," Holden said during a board meeting on October 28, 2025. "I’m concerned the unintended consequences around this will be serious… I’m still in that place where I don’t think that Yondr pouches are the solution. I would really want to know what the need is as perceived from an educational perspective."
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board Trustee Ida Green
"When I first… joined this board, one of the things that was asked of trustees is to not have our cell phones out. That is a great practice, and it is a practice that I really had to lean into, quite frankly," Green said during a board meeting on October 28, 2025. "I think it is true, we are in an instant‑gratification society… everybody's on TikTok, Snapchat, whatever those other things that you young people use… because you can find it really quickly.”
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District
Board President cynthia roenisch
"My own personal opinion is we are committing educational malpractice if we don't ban phones for the whole [day]. I don't think we can say we care about kids... if we don't ban phones for the day," Roenisch said during a board meeting on March 24, 2026. "I think any educator has to admit [phones are] addictive and it interrupts student learning."
Photo courtesy of Tamalpais Union High School District