Youngkin Signs Order on ‘Cell Phone-Free Education’ in Virginia Public Schools

This article was originally published in Virginia Mercury.

Virginia will soon establish guidance to restrict or eliminate student cell phone use during instructional time at school.

On Tuesday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33, which directs his administration to “heed the call” of parents, public health professionals, educators and others by establishing cell phone-free policies and procedures for school divisions, in light of growing concerns over children’s health and declines in academic performance.

The Virginia Department of Education, in collaboration with the Departments of Health and Health and Human Services, must clearly define what “cell phone-free education” means, and publish model plans and draft guidance on implementing cell phone-free education in Virginia’s K-12 schools on its website by Aug. 15, according to the governor’s directive.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

The directive will establish “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 eliminating “clear distractions” in the classroom, Youngkin said in a statement.

The governor added that $500,000 in existing funds allocated to the Departments of Education and Behavioral Health and Development Services will be made available to implement the initiative.

According to the governor’s office, the funds will support state and local efforts to facilitate family nights and community engagement events to combat youth mental health challenges, and provide microgrants for school divisions to help implement cell phone best practices in their communities.

As part of the policies’ development, the departments will be required to hold listening sessions seeking public input on “age-appropriate cell phone-free education policies and procedures, gather feedback on best practices currently underway in Virginia public schools, and receive input for the draft guidance,” the governor’s executive order reads.

The departments are slated to release the final guidance by Sept. 16 of this year. The order directs school boards to adopt the policies by Jan. 1, 2025, or before.

Youngkin’s order cites American Psychological Association research that suggests adolescents who spend over three hours on social media daily have double the risk of poor mental health. The order also references studies showing that children spend about 4.8 hours a day on social media, and that students who use their phones during class learn less and earn lower grades.

“Therefore, creating a cell phone-free education environment in public schools is not only a prudent measure but an essential one to promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn,” Youngkin directive states.

Some of Virginia’s school boards have already begun banning or restricting cell phone use in schools. Legislation empowering local boards to institute such prohibitions on cellphones and other “handheld communication devices” during regular school hours died last session.

James Fedderman, president of the Virginia Education Association, said in a statement that the organization recognizes the mounting worries over how cell phones impact students in classrooms and thinks it’s “essential” to approach the issue with “a nuanced perspective that considers the real-world needs of our students and teachers.”

Fedderman, whose organization is the largest educator advocacy group in the state, went on to urge the Virginia Department of Education to engage with educators to develop balanced guidelines “that support effective teaching and learning while also addressing legitimate concerns about distractions.”

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com . Follow Virginia Mercury on Facebook and X .