Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia to Launch Pilot Program Prohibiting Cellphone Use During School Day
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia is set to implement a pilot program in several middle schools that will ban students from accessing their cellphones during the school day starting in the 2024-25 academic year.
Seven middle schools, including Frost, Irving, Jackson, Poe, Robinson, Thoreau, and Twain, will participate in the program aimed at reducing classroom disruptions and enhancing student engagement and learning, according to FCPS.
As part of the initiative, students will be provided with Yondr pouches, which are magnetic storage pouches that prevent access to cellphones, social media, text messages, and phone calls. Students will be required to lock their phones in the pouches upon arrival at school and keep them in their backpacks throughout the day.
In case of a family emergency, parents can contact the school’s front office. The new policy will be enforced from bell to bell each day, with students only allowed to access their phones at designated Yondr unlocking stations at the end of the school day.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin recently signed an executive order directing the Virginia Department of Education to develop guidelines for public school divisions to establish cellphone-free education policies. The move is aimed at addressing concerns about the impact of extensive social media usage and cellphone possession on adolescents’ mental health.
Several other states, including California, New York, Texas, and Georgia, have also implemented similar policies to restrict cellphone use in schools, with many utilizing Yondr pouches to enforce the rules.
The pilot program in FCPS is part of a broader effort to create a more focused and engaged learning environment for students by minimizing distractions from cellphones and social media. Studies have shown that students who use their phones during instructional time tend to have lower academic performance.
Overall, the initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need to establish boundaries around cellphone use in educational settings to promote student well-being and academic success.
