State releases final guidance for banning cell phones in public schools
RICHMOND – As long as school bells ring, students’ cell phones will not.
The state Department of Education put its final stamp Tuesday on student accessibility to mobile phones during classroom time, reiterating its preliminary stance restricting their use during the school day. That also includes lunch periods.
The “Final Guidance,” as the state DOE classifies it, defines those restrictions as “bell-to-bell.” That means from the first morning bell to the dismissal bell, if you are a public-school student, your phone must be turned off and stored away, be it in a bookbag or a pouch that some school systems across Virginia already require.
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“’Bell-to-bell'” includes lunch and time in between class periods,” the education department said in a statement Tuesday morning.
The policy, pushed for by Gov. Glenn Youngkin as part of his "Cell Phone-Free Education” initiative, is designed to keep students focused more on their lessons and less on their mobile devices. Both the Youngkin administration and the state DOE have cited reports that too much exposure to social media – including during the school day – affects both educational intake and students’ overall mental and emotional health.
The DOE opted to let each division adopt its own exemptions for cell-phone use during the school day, such as medical emergencies or traumatic events. Those exemptions must be codified in either Individualized Education Plans [IEP] or “504 plans” for students with disabilities.
“Viable alternatives to using a cell phone or personal electronic communication device should be explored and implemented in collaboration with the student’s family,” DOE wrote.
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DOE wants each public-school division to have a cell phone-free policy in place by Jan. 1, 2025.
The Final Guidance offers age-appropriate restrictions:
Elementary schools: If the student’s parent determines that a cell phone is needed at school, that phone still needs to be turned off and stored away from the student during the school day, or on school property before or after school.
Middle schools: Students should not have easily accessible cell phones during the school day. It would be up to the school system to determine exemptions to those policies.
High schools: Students may use cell phones before or after school but must keep them off and stored during the bell-to-bell day.
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As far as storage goes, each school division will have its own policies where the phones would be kept.
In the announcement, DOE said it received more than 6,000 public comments from parents, students and other stakeholders during a time of seeking feedback on phone-free policies. That feedback, the agency said, put an emphasis on instruction over classroom discipline, assurance that students submit original work rather than something from AI, and development of critical communication skills.
“We are so thankful for the collaborative input from families, educators, and students on such a critical challenge for our young people,” state superintendent of public instruction Lisa Coons said in the statement. “Virginians helped us shape the final guidance and our implementation supports. We look forward to continuing to work with families and educators as we help ensure that every student can have a Cell Phone-Free Education."
In a separate statement, Youngkin called the DOE move “an important step toward creating a healthier learning environment.” He also applauded DOE’s outreach efforts with parents for feedback on the final draft.
“I appreciate the substantive engagement from parents, teachers, administrators and our students and we will continue to engage in these discussions with parents and students how Virginia can continue to improve these policies and keep the commonwealth’s education system best-in-class,” the governor said. “Together, we’re creating a healthier, safer and more focused learning environment for our children.”
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Va. issues final guidance for banning cell phones in public schools