West Palm Beach students at Oxbridge Academy are about to get a school-day version of airplane mode: no phones from the opening bell through dismissal. The private school is expanding a phone-free initiative from its middle school to every Upper School student, putting grades 9 through 12 under the same all-day restriction this school year.
According to CBS12, Oxbridge announced Tuesday that all Upper School students will have to go without phones during the school day. The policy was already in place for students in grades 6 through 8 and is now being extended to high school.
Oxbridge Is Extending The Ban To Grades 9-12
School leaders say the goal is to reduce distractions while improving focus, classroom participation, face-to-face interaction and healthier technology habits. The policy is also being presented as part of the academy’s broader student-support strategy, which brings wellness, mental-health and learning-support services together under one coordinated system, according to Oxbridge Academy.
The school’s Student Care program includes a wellness clinic, mental-health support and personalized academic assistance for students with documented learning differences. Oxbridge describes the model as a way to identify challenges earlier and connect students with support across physical, emotional, mental and academic needs.
Public-School Students Still Have More Phone Windows
Oxbridge’s rule is stricter than the current policy for high school students in the Palm Beach County public-school district. The district allows high schoolers to use phones before and after school, during passing periods and at lunch, while banning phones, smartwatches and smart glasses during instructional time unless a teacher specifically permits them, according to the Palm Beach County School District.
That difference matters as families prepare for the new school year: public-school students may still have designated windows to check in, while Oxbridge students will be expected to stay disconnected throughout the school day. The district also notes that exceptions can be made for documented medical or educational needs.
Florida Is Testing How Far School Phone Rules Should Go
Florida’s statewide framework has tightened in recent years, but it does not automatically impose Oxbridge’s bell-to-bell high-school restriction on every campus. A 2025 memo from the Florida Department of Education says House Bill 1105 bars elementary and middle school students from using wireless devices during the school day and restricts high school use during instructional time, while creating a pilot to evaluate full-day prohibitions in high schools.
For Oxbridge families, the practical change is straightforward: the school day is becoming a phone-free zone for all grades 6 through 12. Whether students embrace the forced face time or spend the first week staring wistfully at their backpacks, the academy is betting that fewer notifications will mean more attention in class.
