The Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia is set to introduce a pilot program across several middle schools that will restrict students’ access to cellphones during school hours, commencing in the 2024-25 academic year.
The pilot program will involve seven schools: Frost Middle School, Irving Middle School, Jackson Middle School, Poe Middle School, Robinson Middle School, Thoreau Middle School, and Twain Middle School.
According to FCPS, the initiative aims to create a “phone-free” environment during school hours to reduce classroom interruptions and enhance student engagement and academic performance.
Starting the week of September 2, students in the participating schools will be given a cellphone storage pouch known as a Yondr pouch, which employs a magnetic lock to prevent the use of cellphones for accessing social media, sending texts, or making calls.
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Mobile phones are secured in “Yondr” pouches before entry into an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum on November 22, 2019, in New York City. (Getty Images)
Students are tasked with keeping track of their Yondr pouch, which they should bring to school daily.
Each morning, upon arriving at school, students will secure their phones in the Yondr pouch and stow it in their backpacks. AirPods must be placed inside the pouch or in the students’ backpacks, while smartwatches must be turned off or set to airplane mode.
In case of a family emergency, parents can reach out to the school’s front office.
FCPS clarified that the aim of the pilot program is to foster a more engaging educational setting for students, devoid of distractions from cell phones and social media. “Research indicates that students who utilize their cell phones during class time tend to concentrate less, learn less effectively, and receive lower grades,” the district stated on its website.
Each student is responsible for their own Yondr pouch and must bring it to school every day. (Getty Images)
The newly established cellphone policy will be enforced throughout the school day, from the start of classes to the end.
Students will retain their phones during the day, but they will be unable to use them until they retrieve their pouches from a Yondr unlocking station after school.
If a student forgets their pouch, they must leave their phone at the front office for the day, where it will be returned after school hours.
In case of damage or loss of a pouch, school personnel will take care of the phone or pouch and place it in the front office, with the student charged an $18 fee for replacement.
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During the 2024-25 school year, seven schools will participate in the pilot initiative. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
This initiative follows Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, signing an executive order last month directing the Virginia Department of Education to draft guidelines for public school districts to enact local policies promoting cell phone-free environments.
“The need for implementing a cellphone-free educational model in Virginia’s K-12 public schools is becoming increasingly clear,” Youngkin stated in the order. “Concerns regarding the growing mental health crisis and chronic health issues faced by adolescents—such as depression and anxiety—are being voiced by parents, public health leaders, educators, and other stakeholders in the Commonwealth, largely due to extensive social media exposure and the prevalence of cell phone ownership among children.”
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“A cellphone-free education will significantly minimize the unmonitored time students spend on their phones,” he continued.
Numerous other school districts across Virginia and in states like California, New York, Texas, and Georgia are also instituting policies that restrict cellphone use during school hours, many utilizing the Yondr pouches.
