Virginia enacts statewide ban on cellphones for all K-12 public school students

Virginia public schools opened the 2026-27 year under a statewide rule that bars students from using cellphones from the first bell to the last. Senate Bill 108, approved by Governor Abigail Spanberger on April 6, requires every school board to adopt policies that restrict possession and prohibit use of cellphones and smart devices on school property from bell to bell. The law took effect July 1, according to the Virginia Legislative Information System. WSLS reported on Aug. 5 that the change now applies across kindergarten through 12th grade and covers lunch and passing periods as well as class time. ### What changed this year in Virginia schools? Virginia already had a cellphone law on the books, but the 2026 measure tightened it. The Legislative Information System says prior law required school boards to restrict student cellphone and smart-device possession and use on school property from bell to bell; SB 108 amended that framework to require policies that also prohibit use on school property from bell to bell, except where other law provides an exception. (lis.virginia.gov) WSLS reported that the practical change will be felt most by high school students in districts that had still allowed phones during lunch or between classes. Under the updated rule, students in kindergarten through 12th grade must turn phones off and store them away for the full school day, including hallways and lunch, unless a specific exception applies. (lis.virginia.gov) ### Does “bell-to-bell” really include lunch and passing periods? The Virginia Department of Education answered that in guidance released on Sept. 17, 2024. The department said “bell-to-bell” means phones should be turned off and stored away from the first bell at the start of the school day until the dismissal bell, and that the definition includes lunch and time between class periods. (wsls.com) WSLS said the expanded law removed the exceptions that had let some older students keep phones during non-classroom time. In Roanoke County, communications director Chuck Lionberger told the station, “High school is new, the law has changed, and so in accordance with the law, we are going to go to bell to bell. That means first bell to last bell, that cell phone is off and away.” (doe.virginia.gov) ### Who pushed the policy before it became law? Governor Glenn Youngkin started the statewide push on July 9, 2024, when he issued Executive Order 33 directing the Virginia Department of Education to develop cell phone-free education guidance for public schools. The department’s webpage says the order was framed around student mental health and classroom distraction concerns. (wsls.com) Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons said in the department’s 2024 release that the final guidance was shaped by feedback from families, educators and students. The department said it received nearly 6,000 public comments and that a Washington Post-Schar School poll found 69% of Virginia parents of school-aged children supported cellphone-free education, including during lunch and class breaks. (doe.virginia.gov) ### Are phones the only devices covered? Senate Bill 108 applies to “cell phone and smart device” policies, not only phones. The bill summary on the Legislative Information System says school boards must adopt policies that restrict student cellphone and smart-device possession and prohibit student cellphone and smart-device use on school property from bell to bell. (doe.virginia.gov) WSLS framed the immediate issue for families as phone access during the school day, but the statutory language is broader than handsets alone. Local divisions still write and publish their own policies, which is where parents can see how each district defines covered devices and any exceptions. ### Where can parents check their district’s exact rules? The Virginia Department of Education maintains a statewide tracker of local cellphone policies. (lis.virginia.gov) The department says the linked policies were provided by school divisions or identified by VDOE, and that the tracker is updated as policies are received. The next step for families is local, not legislative. (lis.virginia.gov) The law has been in effect since July 1, 2026, and school divisions are implementing their own versions for the 2026-27 year through policies posted on the VDOE tracker and on district websites. (doe.virginia.gov)