Virginia joins other states with effort to restrict cellphones in schools

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Virginia on Tuesday joined a growing number of states that are pushing for cellphone restrictions in public schools, citing concerns over students’ academic achievement and mental health.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order to establish state guidance and model policies for local school systems to adopt by January.

“Studies indicate that students who use their phones during class learn less and achieve lower grades,” Youngkin’s order stated. It also cited an “alarming mental health crisis” among adolescents, which is partly driven by cellphones and social media.

Last year, Florida became the first state to crack down on phones in school with a new law. Indiana and Ohio passed their own laws this year, while several other states have recently introduced what is becoming known as “phone-free schools” legislation.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported that 76% of public schools prohibited “non-academic cell phone use” during the 2021-2022 school year.

In Virginia, school districts have been increasingly banning or severely restricting students’ phone use. For example, Loudoun County Public Schools, in northern Virginia, passed a new policy last month that generally bans elementary school students from using phones during the school day.

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