Virginia K-12 students in public schools will be banned from using cellphones or other personal communication devices such as smartwatches from “bell-to-bell” during school. The devices must be turned off and stored in backpacks, lockers, pouches or another location off the student.
The Virginia Department of Education released its final guidance on Tuesday, after a 30-day public comment period. School divisions have until the end of the year to update their policies. The guidance follows Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s July executive order for a “cellphone-free education.” The governor last month issued Executive Order 33 to keep cellphones out of the classroom to address distractions and mental health concerns.
“This guidance from the Virginia Department of Education is an important step towards creating a healthier learning environment where students can receive a quality education free from harmful distractions,” Youngkin said in a written statement released today.
The most stringent guidelines apply to elementary schools, where students will be barred from using their phones inside the building or on school property, including before and after school. Whether middle school students can use their devices before or after school is left up to local divisions. At the high school level, students can use their phones before or after school hours.
In Tuesday’s news release, VDOE officials cited a recent poll of Virginia voters that showed nearly 70% supported a cellphone ban, including during lunch and breaks. The release states that the poll results align with the “broad, bi-partisan” feedback the department has received. The release states that one of parents’ biggest concerns is reaching their children in emergencies. The final guidance includes suggestions for school divisions on creating effective communication plans for emergencies including to “overcommunicate” with families and increasing the frequency of messages during emergencies. The guidance gives divisions the choice of allowing their students to access their phones in an emergency but states that protocols should be clearly communicated to students and parents.
The news release states that many students wrote in requesting to use their phones during lunch.
“However, research shows students receive more than 200 notifications a day on their smartphones and two-thirds of U.S. students report being distracted by using digital devices,” the release states. “It is essential that students have the opportunity to develop face-to-face conversations and critical in-person communication skills during unstructured school hours.”
The guidance makes exemptions for phone use for medical purposes, such as apps that monitor vital signs, if the allowance is written into an individualized education or health plan for students.
Nour Habib, nour.habib@virginiamedia.com
