RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order on Tuesday geared toward banning students in K-12 public schools from using phones during class.
The order requires the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to draft guidance – including policies and procedures to ban phones during instruction – by August 15, according to a release from Gov. Youngkin’s office. This process will include VDOE speaking with parents, students, teachers, local school leaders and others for input, the release says.
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Youngkin’s order applies to K-12 students in Virginia public schools, the release says. VDOE’s guidance will establish an “age-appropriate restriction or elimination of cell phone use during instructional time.” The department’s guidance will also include protocols that let parents contact their children in emergencies and/or important situations.
VDOE’s final guidance will be completed in September for school divisions to adopt by January 1, 2025, the release says. However, school divisions can adopt policies and procedures that are "more comprehensive" than VDOE's guidance before then if they choose to do so, the release says.
VDOE told News 3 the schools will have flexibility when adopting its guidance on managing cell phones in classes. The department's statement is as follows:
"After considering feedback from stakeholders and the public, the Virginia Department of Education is required to issue draft guidance by August 15, 2024, for school divisions to adopt policies and procedures establishing cell phone-free education through the restriction or elimination of cell phone use during instructional time.
School divisions are required to develop and adopt policies that adhere to VDOE's guidance by January 1, 2025. The VDOE's guidance will serve as a base for the school divisions to model, but school divisions retain a great deal of flexibility to adopt policies and procedures that work best for their local communities."
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Youngkin’s office says the order aims to remove classroom distractions and improve the mental health of students across the commonwealth. The release cites a study that found that spending more than three hours a day on social media doubles the risk of poor mental health for adolescents.
“Today’s Executive Order both establishes the clear goal to protect the health and safety of our students by limiting the amount of time they are exposed to addictive cell phones and social media and eliminates clear distractions in the classroom. It also kicks off the robust conversations among parents, students, teachers, and school and community leaders necessary to design and implement these policies and procedures at the local level,” said Gov. Youngkin.
Sen. Kaine (D-Virginia) commented on Youngkin's order, saying he's glad to see action being taken on the matter in Virginia.
"I'm committed to doing all that I can to help students overcome learning loss. That's why I introduced a bipartisan bill to look into how cellphone use in schools is impacting students’ learning and mental health. I'm glad to see more action on the state level in Virginia, too," said Sen. Kaine.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools says the governor's order is similar to the school system's current policies. They shared the following statement with us:
"VBCPS feels Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 33 aligns with our current regulations, which were adopted in 2022. We are constantly reviewing the impacts of cell phones and social media on student learning and our learning environment in general.
Please know the topic is on the agenda for Wednesday’s School Board retreat, which you can stream or attend in-person. See the agenda here"
The release says $500,000 of state funding will go towards implementing the cell phone ban.
A copy of Gov. Youngkin’s executive order can be read here.
