Frequently Asked Questions About Changes to the
Mobile Communication Device Policy
What is The Commons?
The Commons is a privacy-first app that automatically limits distracting social apps like social media and games during the school day, while keeping essential functions like calls and texts, academic tools, and medical apps available.
While phone communication remains technically possible to meet state requirements for emergency access, we encourage students to stay fully engaged in learning during the school day. We ask parents and caregivers to support this effort by avoiding routine messages during class time.
If you need to reach your child urgently, please contact the school office so we can ensure timely support and maintain a calm, respectful learning environment.
Analy front office: (707) 824-2300
El Molino Campus front office: (707) 824-6484
You can watch a high-level overview of the technology here.
Why is the District using The Commons?
Our aim is to reduce distractions, enhance student mental health, and create classroom environments where teachers can teach and students can learn. The Commons supports long-term behavioral growth by helping students build digital agency. The ability to manage their technology use in a way that supports learning, relationships, and well-being.
WSCUHSD believes students are capable of making thoughtful choices, and it’s essential they learn how to focus, self-regulate, and use devices responsibly — not just during the school day, but throughout their lives.
How does it work?
In August 2025, all students in grades 9-12 will be provided with details of how to download The Commons application and pair it to our school.
Once paired with our school, the app automatically activates when students arrive and deactivates at dismissal. Approved apps (like medical or academic tools) remain available.
Visit https://www.the-commons.app/how-it-works for more details.
How much does this all cost?
The Commons app implementation for all WSCUHSD students costs $7,550 annually, with an additional $2,000 one-time onboarding fee. The District has also purchased a limited number of locking pouches to be used as a second layer of support. The pouches and unlocking devices cost approximately $10,000. Thanks to the Sebastopol Rotary, $15,000 of those costs will be funded through their Education Foundation.
Consistent with Board Policy 6161.2, Damaged or Lost Instructional Materials, students are responsible for the phone pouch issued to them. If a pouch is intentionally damaged, defaced, tampered with, or lost, the student may be required to pay the full replacement cost of the pouch.
How is the "end of the day" defined?
The end of the day is 3:40 p.m. If a student leaves school before 3:40 p.m., The Commons will automatically become inactive once they leave the campus boundary.
What if my student requires their phone for academic or medical usage?
All academic and medical applications necessary for students at our school will remain functional during the school day. We believe that technology is a great thing when used as a tool to support our students.
Will my student's phone be tracked?
No. The Commons does not track your student’s activity or store their location.
To activate during the school day, the app simply recognizes when a student’s phone has entered the designated school zone, like a one-time check-in. It does not follow the student’s movements, monitor what they’re doing on their device, or collect personal data.
The Commons is designed with privacy and student trust in mind, and is fully aligned with school, state, and federal privacy standards.
Read their student privacy guide to learn more.
Will my student still be able to listen to music?
Students will be able to use headphones with cords to connect to their district-issued Chromebooks. They will be able to use the headphones for classroom work or for listening to music during free periods.
What if a parent or guardian needs to reach their child during the school day?
We understand that emergencies will occur. Parents may contact their school's main office to speak with their child if the need arises. While call and text messaging remains functional with The Commons, we ask that you respect your child’s learning time and use our school communication systems that we have in place.
What if a student has responsibilities outside of school that need to be addressed?
Life happens, and we recognize that there are students who have responsibilities outside of school that they need to attend to. If a student needs to use their phone for an urgent matter, they may go to the front office to do so.
What happens if there is an emergency at school?
Every location on our campuses is equipped with a phone that can dial 911. Our staff is trained to execute safety and emergency procedures. Students will follow the school’s emergency procedures in the case of an emergency. Schools will communicate with parents through the district’s mass notification and communication tools. Call and text messaging on students’ phones will still remain active.
What if a student does not comply and removes a setting or deletes the app to access their phone?
Follow-up and intervention with students who are found to delete or intentionally circumvent The Commons App will follow our Student Cellphone Policy. All policy infractions will be timestamped on our dashboard.
Our goal is not to punish students for breaking a policy - it is to support them in using their device appropriately and prevent them from engaging in harmful and distracting activities on their phone, so that they receive the educational experience they deserve.
If we find a student is demonstrating addictive behaviors with their phone, we will contact the parents/caregivers and school counselors.
Why can’t the school just implement a zero-tolerance policy and allow students to keep their phones put away?
The District has introduced a number of strategies over the years in an attempt to limit cell phone use in the classroom. However, enforcement of this practice becomes the burden of classroom teachers when students do not comply and valuable instruction time is lost as these issues are addressed.
These strategies also do not teach students the ‘why’ behind these policies, and do not support long-term behavior change that we aim to impact with The Commons Digital Citizenship and trust-based approach.
Are you requiring students to download The Commons?
Students are encouraged to download The Commons, not required. Students always have the option to turn in their phones to the front office for safekeeping throughout the school day.
The introduction of The Commons is to support in creating a culture shift. The intention of The Commons is threefold:
to create classroom environments where teachers can teach and students can learn free from distractions caused by the personal use of devices;
to reduce the negative impacts for ALL students of inappropriate use of devices at school, such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and incidents involving mobile phones that detract from a healthy school climate; and
to increase meaningful face-to-face connections between students.
We also explored other technologies and solutions, but those options were expensive and shift away from the autonomy, trust, and behavioral growth we aim to support.
Will teachers use The Commons app as well?
All teachers and staff at the high school will not be using The Commons, but we are committed to creating a digitally intentional learning environment. All staff will be getting trained on Digital Citizenship during our staff professional development days.
What tools will the school use to help gauge the effectiveness of The Commons?
We will use quantitative and qualitative data to assess the effectiveness of The Commons in improving student and staff success.
How can I support my student?
Take time to talk with your student about why focus and human connection are important during the day.
Here is a short video to help kick off the conversation: ‘Battle for your time’
Demonstrate with your own tech behaviors what you would want to see in your student.
Reinforce the importance of being present during school and avoid texting your child during school hours
Talk to your child about healthy screen time habits
Celebrate the effort they’re making — this isn’t easy, but it’s powerful
The information above doesn’t answer my questions. How can I submit a question about The Commons?
The Commons FAQs will be updated as the implementation gets underway in 2026-2027. If you have a question regarding the implementation of The Commons in the District, email jalbavera@wscuhsd.org
If you need technical assistance from The Commons, visit their help center: