Fredericksburg City Public Schools

July 9, 2024, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an Executive order calling for restrictions on cell phone use during instructional time in public schools due to increasing evidence that cell phone and social media use has severe negative impacts on students' educational success and mental wellbeing.

"This essential action will promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn. Creating cell phone and social media-free educational environments in Virginia's K-12 education system will benefit students, parents, and educators," said Youngkin. "Today's Executive Order both establishes the clear goal to protect the health and safety of our students by limiting the amount of time they are exposed to addictive cell phones and social media and eliminates clear distractions in the classroom. It also kicks off the robust conversations among parents, students, teachers, and school and community leaders necessary to design and implement these policies and procedures at the local level."

Beginning with the opening of school this August, no student phones will be allowed to be used for students in grades PK through 12 during the school day. Current research shows that social media use distracts students from learning and negatively affects mental and emotional wellbeing. Cell phone use and reliance on social media can be tied to lowered academic achievement, poor behavior choices, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, as well as disengagement in the classroom and in social settings.

We firmly believe that we need to minimize distractions to promote teaching and learning, student mental health, and school safety.

Beginning in August, 2024:

• PK-5 students may not have phones at school.

• 6-12 students will need to lock up their phones in specially designed, magnetized Yondr phone pouches during the school day. At the end of the school day (or if students leave the building early) the pouches will be unlocked at exits.

This policy was presented to the Fredericksburg City Public School board at the June 10, 2024 School Board meeting, then the policy was approved at the July 1, 2024 meeting.

Fredericksburg City Public Schools will purchase phone pouches from YONDR and begin using them in August.