Aug. 20 is the first day of school around these parts, which can mean so many things—a new school, new friends, new subjects to be interested in. It also means that some students won’t be allowed to use their phones on campus the way they have in the past. But that depends on where they’re going to school. As part of our annual Education Today issue, Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal writes about California’s new cellphone ban rules and how implementation varies across schools, Staff Write Chloë Hodge highlights the variety of CTE programs at Paso Robles High School, and Intern Sam Fickett talks to homeless service providers about South County students in need and their families.
Need for housing
Lucia Mar’s students face homelessness in a system that lacks beds and funding
This article appears in Education Today 2026.
