Gov. Glenn Youngkin talks cellphones at Gate City Middle School

GATE CITY, Va. (WJHL) — Just under a month after the Virginia Department of Education issued guidelines for a “cell phone-free” education and just over two months after an executive order calling on the department to develop the policy, Governor Glenn Youngkin spoke with school leaders at Gate City Middle School.

“Cell phone-free schools is a big step, too, to really provide students the freedom to be students, to fundamentally pay attention in class, to be relieved of all the distractions,” Youngkin said.

Already, more than 100 districts in the state have banned cell phone use in schools. During a listening session on Friday, Youngkin heard from Southwest Virginia students, parents, and school leaders about how it impacts their classrooms.

“The number one thing that we heard today, I think consistently, is we like this,” Youngkin told News Channel 11. “We think it’s good for our students, for our children.”

Youngkin fielded some negative feedback. A student in the audience told the governor she wished students could keep their phones during the day.

“As high schoolers, we should be able to have control [of] our property,” the student said. “But I do think that if each teacher has some sort of policy, that it would allow more engagement and more learning. “

Youngkin said he most commonly hears questions and concerns about how removing cell phones from the classroom might impact schools during an emergency.

He brought law enforcement into the discussion, asking Washington County Virginia Sheriff Blake Andis how he handled false threats this week and encouraging districts to t est their emergency communication systems often.

The Department of Education is still seeking feedback on its draft policies. The final draft is scheduled to be released on Sept. 16.

School systems are required to adopt their policies by next January.

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