The Virginia Department of Education is releasing its final guidance on Monday to make schools in the Commonwealth cell phone-free.
Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order and asked the Department of Education to create the guidelines.
Last month, it released draft guidance that said students’ phones should be turned off and put away from the moment the first bell rings to the moment that the last bell rings. It said where phones are located physically is a local decision, however students cannot have them on their person or in their pockets. Instead, they can be in their backpacks, lockers, or even in a locked pouch.
[RELATED: ‘Fireside chat’ across Virginia to discuss new cell phone free policies in schools]
Many schools in Southwest Virginia already changed their policies, including Alleghany Highlands.
Currently, elementary school students cannot use them until the end of the school day. Middle and high schoolers can only use them during lunch and between hallway transitions.
Superintendent Kim Halterman said once the guidelines come out, they’ll look at their current policies and compare the department ones side by side.
“We’re always gonna try to do our best by any Virginia Department of Education need or requirement. We’re also gonna try to do the best that we can by our local community. So, we’ll evaluate the information we received based on our local context and we’ll go forward from there,” said Halterman.
She also said that school divisions will choose what strategies they think are best to keep students safe.
Meanwhile, Amherst Public Schools changed its policy.
Principal Joey Crawford with Amherst County High said according to the new regulation this year, secondary students can bring their phones with them. However, they must be placed in a locker for the whole day.
Crawford said teachers have noticed kids are more engaged.
He also said they’ll be compliant with the Department of Education’s guidance when it comes out.
“As it is with anything else in education, if there is something that comes down from the state that is different than our school division we’ll work to make sure that we are in compliance. If that means we have to work to change the regulation,” said Crawford.
Other school divisions have also said they’ll be compliant with the guidelines.
Campbell County Schools Superintendent Clayton Stanley said in an email statement that its current policy already has a cell-phone-free education for middle and elementary school kids. High school students can only access phones during lunch.
“We are going to the board next month with a policy change that would align our policy with the model policies produced by the VDOE, and if passed, will go into effect in January as the executive order requires. Having said that, we haven’t experienced any ramifications due to implementation as of yet. However, we may in January if you want to check back!” said Stanley.
Martinsville City Public Schools Superintendent Zebedee Talley said that it always complied with the department’s policies regarding cell phones.
“I think the restriction we have of no student use from the beginning bell to the end bell is probably a little more than what they will release,” said Talley.
You can watch the full interview with Dr. Talley below:
10 News reached out to the Virginia Department of Education asking what will happen after the final guidance comes out and received an email statement that said:
“What happens after the Final Guidance is released on Monday is that school divisions should develop new policies or review their current policies to make sure they are as rigorous as the Final Guidance. School divisions are expected to adopt or maintain policies that are as rigorous as the Final Guidance by the end of this year and be fully implemented by the start of January 2025. Local school divisions can choose to be more rigorous than the guidance, and some already have done so. “
10 News also asked what happens if schools do not comply, but we did not receive an answer to this question.