Youngkin’s ‘final guidance’ on phone-free school policy released

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Education has released its “final guidance” on cell phone-free education in the Commonwealth as mandated by an Executive Order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin .

According to the department, the final guidance defines phone-free education in Virginia’s public schools as being “bell-to-bell,” meaning phones should be required to be turned off and stored away from the time the bell rings at the beginning of the school day until the final bell rings for dismissal — including during lunch and between classes.

“We are so thankful for the collaborative input from families, educators and students on such a critical challenge for our young people,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. “Virginians helped us shape the final guidance and our implementation supports. 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.”

According to the department, the nearly 6,000 public comments received from Virginians before the final guidance was released reinforced the importance of “bell-to-bell” enforcement, which will ensure that teachers can “focus on learning and not discipline, ensure students submitted authentic work and allow students to develop critical communication skills.”

The department acknowledged that parents who oppose phone-free education are concerned about being able to communicate with their children in the event of an emergency at school. In response to this, the department said that the new policy has “a clear section on communicating with parents during “school-based and family-based emergency situations as well as non-emergency parent communications protocols.”

“In addition, Governor Youngkin has charged the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, VDOE, and the Department of Criminal Justice Services’ Virginia Center For School and Campus Safety with supporting school divisions in the development of their required emergency response and communications plans to ensure that communications with parents during emergency situations is a top priority, consistent and clear,” said the department. “A Task Force will be established to support school and division leaders with enhancing communications to and through school-based emergencies.”

The phone-free policy is different for students of different ages in the following ways:

• If a parent determines an elementary school 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.

The policy also provides guidance that schools should include exemptions in their policies for students who require access to technology due to a language barrier or disability.

More information on the policy and Youngkin’s Executive Order can be found on the department’s website . To read the policy itself, visit the department’s website .

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