Virginia school district launches pilot no cellphone policy using magnetic pouch that blocks signal

The Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia (FCPS) is launching a pilot program for several middle schools to prohibit students' cellphone access during the school day, 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.

The schools "will be phone-free during the school day in order to limit classroom disruptions and improve student engagement and learning," FCPS said on its website.

During the week of September 2, students attending schools in the pilot program will receive a cell phone storage pouch, called a Yondr pouch, which is magnetic and prevents students from using their phones, including for social media, text messages and phone calls.

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Students will be responsible for their own Yondr pouch and will bring it with them to school every day.

Upon arriving at school each morning, students will safely lock their phone in their Yondr pouch and carry it inside their backpack. Airpods must be secured in the pouch or placed in the students' backpacks while smartwatches must be turned off or put on airplane mode.

In situations where there is a family emergency, parents may contact the school's front office.

"The purpose of the pilot program is to create a more engaged learning environment for students, free of distraction from cell phones and social media," FCPS said on its website. "Studies show that students who use their cell phones during instructional time focus less, learn less, and achieve lower grades."

The new cellphone policy will be enforced bell to bell each day at school.

Students will hold onto their phones throughout the day but will not use them until their pouches are opened at the end of the school day at a Yondr unlocking station.

If a student forgets their pouch, they must store their cellphone in the front office for the school day, and it will be returned to the student after school.

In the event that a student damages or loses their pouch, school staff will collect the phone or pouch and send it to the front office for the remainder of the school day, and the student will be assessed an $18 replacement fee.

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This comes after Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin 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 establishing cell phone-free education."

"The necessity of implementing cell-phone free education in Virginia's K-12 public schools is increasingly evident," Youngkin wrote in the order. "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."

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"Cellphone-free education will significantly reduce the amount of time students can be on 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 restricting cellphone use during the school day, with many utilizing the Yondr pouches.