The Fairfax County School Board voted May 8 to pass an amended student cellphone usage policy. The policy allows students to use their phones before and after class and on lunch breaks.
The board had been considering a much stricter cellphone policy that would prohibit phone usage throughout the entire school day, with the exception of lunch time.
Hunter Mill District board member Melanie Meren is in favor of a bell-to-bell ban on cellphones in schools. “Cellphones are addictive technology,” Meren told WTOP. “Our growing students are not seeing them primarily as a tool. So, we have to keep our kids safe.”
Springfield District board member Sandy Anderson spoke in support of the compromise: “I still believe that our existing policy is the best approach to give our high school students the chance to learn how to appropriately navigate the use of technology, which will likely be an important aspect in their lives moving forward.”
Anderson said many students who work must be able to contact their employers during the school day. Plus, students might need to contact their parents for various reasons, she said.
State Cellphone Policy Mandate
Last year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order mandating that the Virginia Department of Education come up with a cellphone policy for the state’s public schools. NoVA school systems implemented new rules this school year.
Arlington Public Schools implemented a districtwide ban on phone usage for the school day, and high schoolers can access their phones at set times in designated areas only. Loudoun County Public Schools requires high school students to place phones in designated areas.
Phones can only be used during class if approved by a teacher for instructional purposes. Prince William County Public Schools bans student phone use throughout the school day. Phones must be turned off and stored, with some exceptions for students needing special accommodations.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
