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 launch a pilot program for several middle schools that will prohibit students’ cellphone access during the school day starting in the 2024-25 school year. The initiative aims to limit classroom disruptions, improve student engagement, and enhance learning.
Seven middle schools will participate in the pilot program, including Frost, Irving, Jackson, Poe, Robinson, Thoreau, and Twain Middle Schools. Students attending these schools will receive a Yondr pouch during the week of September 2, which will securely lock their phones and prevent access to social media, text messages, and phone calls.
Students will be responsible for their own Yondr pouch and must bring it to school every day. Upon arrival, they will lock their phones in the pouch and carry it inside their backpacks. Airpods must also be secured in the pouch or placed in backpacks, while smartwatches must be turned off or put on airplane mode.
In cases of family emergencies, parents can contact the school’s front office. The new policy will be enforced from bell to bell each day, with students holding onto their phones but only using them once the pouches are unlocked at the end of the school day.
If a student forgets their pouch, their phone will be stored in the front office and returned after school. Damaged or lost pouches will result in a replacement fee of $18. The initiative comes after Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order directing the Virginia Department of Education to draft guidance for cell phone-free education in public schools.
The move is part of a broader effort to address concerns about the impact of excessive cellphone use on students’ mental health and academic performance. Other school districts in Virginia and across the country have also implemented similar policies to restrict cellphone use during the school day.
