We now have a better idea of ​​what the state expects from school districts when it comes to creating a “cellphone-free” education. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released its draft guidance for districts late Monday, August 19, outlining both what they’ve heard from residents over the past month and what they’d like schools to implement.

This stems from an Executive Order (EO33) issued by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday, July 9. It calls on school districts to provide students with a “cellphone-free classroom.” This is not a direct cellphone ban, nor does it require that specific protocols be followed. Instead, it asks communities to get involved and help shape the rules they want to see. As the Dispatch reported, there have been a series of hearings between VDOE officials and parents, teachers and administrators over the last month, with more than 600 people in attendance. The hearing closest to us was in Keysville. And nearly 1,500 more people have posted comments on the VDOE website.

From those hearings, VDOE officials say, five points emerged that the majority of people would like to see implemented. First, parents and teachers alike want cell phones eliminated or at least restricted at all school levels. Second, at the same time, all students with documented medical issues must be able to access the phone to receive notifications and use it for other purposes if necessary. Third, parents must be able to stay in touch with their students when school or family emergencies arise. Fourth, teachers do not want to constantly monitor their students and check for cell phones. And fifth, teachers want support and not be the only ones enforcing their school’s cell phone policy.

What is the draft plan?

The current draft policy is just that: a very flimsy framework for each school district to build upon. In elementary schools, if parents decide that their child must bring a cell phone to school, it must be turned off, turned off, and put away during class. It also cannot be used in the school building or on school grounds. The middle school policy is a little different.

It states that “students should not have a readily accessible cell phone or personal electronic communication device during the school day.” In other words, students should not be able to pick up a phone during class. The “draft plan” also calls on school divisions to establish local policies to determine what the final version should look like. The same is proposed for high school students, taking away cell phones during class. Outside of class time at high school, students can use their cell phones wherever they want.

However, for most districts in our region, this is nothing new. In Cumberland County, for example, it is already a rule that no cell phones are allowed in classrooms. And Superintendent Chip Jones said they have no problems with it, adding that district staff are reviewing the draft sent out by the state.

“Our high school principal has done a good job of enforcing cell phone bans in the classroom. The same goes for our middle school,” Jones said. “And at our elementary school, it hasn’t been a problem at all.”

The same is true in Buckingham. In Prince Edward County, students are allowed to use their cell phones in the school cafeteria during lunch, but once they enter class, they must put them away and turn them to silent. Will this change to comply with the draft plan? That is up to each district, which must develop and submit its own plan.

Next steps towards “mobile phone-free education”?

OK, schools have a rough draft to work with. What’s next? Now we come to the deadlines. All school districts must implement the state’s recommendations and design their own cellphone-free education plan, which must be ready by January 1, 2025. Youngkin orders that the data from these adjustments be reviewed regularly to make changes as needed.

Each district’s policies, if adopted or modified, would take effect in August 2025.