On July 9, 2024, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 (“EO33”) establishing cell phone-free education in public schools to promote the health and safety of Virginia’s K-12 students. EO33 states the following:
• The necessity of implementing cell phone-free education in Virginia’s K-12 public schools is increasingly evident. Parents, public health professionals, educators, and other stakeholders across the Commonwealth are expressing concern over the alarming mental health crisis and chronic health conditions affecting adolescents, such as depression and anxiety, driven in part by extensive social media usage and widespread cell phone possession among children. Cell phone-free education will significantly reduce the amount of time students can be on phones without parental supervision.
• Therefore, creating a cell phone-free education environment in public schools is not only a prudent measure, but an essential one to promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn.
Cell phones and smart devices must be silenced or turned off and stored in a secure location from "bell to bell". For more information on policy JFCM (student use of personal mobile devices), click on this link.