The Virginia Department of Education is advising the commonwealth's K-12 public schools to adopt a "bell-to-bell" cell phone policy, meaning that phones are off throughout the school day — including during lunch and in between classes.
The final guidance from VDOE was released Tuesday in response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Executive Order 33, and calls for a "distraction free" environment for students to allow them to focus on learning and reduce what it called the "alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions" from cell phones and social media.
These guidelines do not come as a surprise as it has been an ongoing discussion since July when Gov. Glenn Youngkin released an Executive Order that tasked the VDOE with creating policies and procedures regarding students’ cell phone use in public schools.
Watch: VB superintendent discusses cell phone policy
“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 response.
Around 6,000 public comments were fielded in conversations with over 1,100 Virginians to help inform this decision, according to the VDOE.
VDOE also cited a recent study that showed 69 percent of parents in Virginia who have school-aged children support cell phone-free education.
Watch: Youngkin seeks cell phone ban in schools
“Virginians helped us shape the final guidance and our implementation supports," said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. "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."
Grade level plays a factor in the guidance, as well.
- If a parent determines an elementary student needs to bring a cell phone or personal electronic communication device to school, it must be stored, off, and away from the student during the school day. It should not be used in the school building or on the school grounds before or after school.
- In middle school, a students should not have an easily available cell phone or personal electronic communication device during the bell-to-bell school day. School divisions should establish local policies that determine cell phone and personal electronic communication device use within the school building or on school grounds outside of bell-to-bell, including before and after school.
- In high school, students should not have an easily accessible cell phone or personal electronic communication device during the bell-to-bell school day. Outside of the bell-to-bell instructional time, cell phones and personal electronic communication devices may be used on a high school campus before or after school.
School divisions in the commonwealth are expected to adopt the guidance by Jan. 1, 2025, and the VDOE will review progress and assess any changes to the policy that may be needed at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Read more on the final guidance and what it means for you and your student.
