VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach School Board will vote on a revised outline for their cell phone policy Tuesday evening.
The school board says the policy aligns with the Virginia Department of Education’s official guidance, which was released in response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 33.
Youngkin’s office says the order was issued to remove classroom distractions. It also aims to improve the mental health of students across the commonwealth, as spending more than three hours a day on social media doubles the risk of poor mental health for adolescents, according to a study the governor cited. The order calls for school divisions to have cell phone policies in place by the new year, and VDOE is allowing districts to decide some of the limits.
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Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson said at a board meeting last month that the division may look into banning phones during lunch as well, but that change would take place at the start of the next school year.
News 3 previously reported that VBCPS saw an increase in violations this year with regards to their current cell phone policy. Officials hope to fine-tune the policy so it can be more effectively implemented.
The Norfolk Public School system announced their no cell “from bell to bell” policy last Monday. These changes come as Youngkin expects Virginia public schools to adopt revised cell phone policies by January 1, 2025.
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The proposed cell phone policy at schools in the VBCPS division will vary depending on which level of schooling the student is in.
Elementary School – Students are not allowed to have phone at all on school grounds.
Middle School – Students must store phones in lockers from the first bell to the final bell of the day.
High School – Students must store phones in lockers from the first bell to the final bell of the day, BUT they are permitted to use cell phones during lunch.
Under this policy, students would also be able to access and use phones in the case of a medical or safety emergency.
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This upcoming vote was informed by previously held information sessions hosted by Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. and it is open to the public.
