Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia is launching a pilot program for several middle schools to ban students from using cell phones during the school year starting in the 2024-25 school year.
Seven schools will participate in the pilot program: Frost Middle School, Irving Middle School, Jackson Middle School, Poe Middle School, Robinson Middle School, Thoreau Middle School and Twain Middle School.
FCPS said on its website that phones “will be prohibited during school hours to limit classroom disruptions and increase student engagement and learning.”
During the week of September 2, students at schools participating in the pilot program will receive a cell phone storage bag called the Yondr Bag, which is magnetic and prevents students from using their phones, including social media, text messages and phone calls.
State lawmakers call for ban on cellphone use in schools
On November 22, 2019, at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, people’s mobile phones were locked into “Yondr” bags before entering the exhibition. (Getty Images)
Students will be responsible for maintaining their own Yondr bag and bringing it to school each day.
Upon arriving at school each morning, students will securely lock their phones in their Yondr bags and place them in their backpacks. Airpods must be secured in a bag or placed in a student’s backpack, while smartwatches must be turned off or set to airplane mode.
In the event of a family emergency, parents can contact the school front desk.
“The purpose of this pilot program is to create a more engaged learning environment for students free from the distractions of cell phones and social media,” FCPS said on its website. “Research shows that cell phone use during instruction “Students are less focused, learn less, and get lower grades.”
Students will be responsible for maintaining their own Yondr bag and bringing it to school each day. (Getty Images)
The new cell phone policy will be enforced by ringing the bell every day at school.
Students will have their phones with them throughout the day but will not use them until they open their pouches at the Yondr unlock station after school.
If a student forgets their bag, they must leave their phone at the front desk during the school day and it will be returned to the student after school.
If a student damages or loses their cell phone pouch, school staff will collect the cell phone or cell phone pouch during the remainder of the day’s instructional time and send it to the front desk, and the student will be charged an $18 replacement fee.
Newsom seeks to limit student cell phone use in schools: ‘Harming our youth’s mental health’
Seven schools will participate in the pilot program during the 2024-25 school year. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
This comes after Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Younkin signed an executive order last month directing the Virginia Department of Education to “draft guidance for public school divisions to adopt local policies and procedures for establishing cellphone-free education.” ”.
“The need to implement free mobile education in Virginia’s K-12 public schools has become increasingly apparent,” Youngkin wrote in the order. “Parents, public health professionals, educators and other stakeholders across the Commonwealth Researchers have expressed concern about an alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions (such as depression and anxiety) affecting teenagers, in part due to widespread use of social media and widespread cell phone ownership among children.
Click here to get the Fox News app
“Cellphone-free education will significantly reduce the time students spend using mobile phones without parental supervision,” he added.
Other school districts in Virginia and elsewhere, including California, New York, Texas and Georgia, have also begun implementing policies limiting cell phone use during school hours, with many using Yondr bags.
