Virginia bans phones for all K-12 students

Virginia’s statewide school phone ban is now operating as a bell-to-bell rule for every public K-12 student, not just a classroom restriction. State law requires each school board and each public elementary and secondary school to implement age-appropriate policies that restrict possession and prohibit use of cell phones and smart devices on school property from the first bell to the dismissal bell. The Virginia Department of Education says the rule covers lunch and the time between classes, and its guidance says phones should be turned off and stored away during the academic day. WSLS reported on Aug. 5 that the policy now applies statewide to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. ### Does this mean students cannot use phones anywhere during the school day? (law.lis.virginia.gov) Virginia law says school boards must restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and prohibit use on school property from bell to bell. The statute defines “bell to bell” as the period after the first bell rings to begin instructional time until the dismissal bell at the end of the school day, and it expressly includes lunch and time between class periods. (doe.virginia.gov) Virginia Department of Education guidance goes a step further in describing how that should work in practice. The department says phones should be off and stored away from the first bell to the dismissal bell, and it describes the policy as applying across the school day rather than only inside classrooms. ### Which students and devices are covered? (law.lis.virginia.gov) The law applies to public elementary and secondary schools statewide, which means all public K-12 grades. The statute covers both cell phones and “smart devices,” a category the law defines as personal electronic devices that can connect to the internet and wirelessly collect, process and transmit data, including smart watches and tablets. (doe.virginia.gov) Virginia’s guidance breaks the rule out by age group. For elementary students, the department says a phone brought to school at a parent’s direction must be stored, off and away during the school day and should not be used in the building or on school grounds before or after school. For middle and high school students, the guidance says they should not have an easily accessible phone or other personal electronic communication device during the bell-to-bell day. (law.lis.virginia.gov) ### Are there any exceptions for health or disability needs? State law includes explicit exceptions. Virginia schools must allow a student to possess and use a phone or smart device from bell to bell if that use is required under an Individualized Education Plan, a Section 504 Plan, an individualized health care plan, a diabetes medical management plan, or a Limited English Proficiency plan. (doe.virginia.gov) The Virginia Department of Education says its final guidance also addresses medical needs and emergency situations after parents raised concerns about students who use phones to monitor documented medical conditions. The department added a school-safety section to the guidance focused on emergency preparation and parent communication. (law.lis.virginia.gov) ### Can a student be suspended just for violating the phone rule? Virginia law says no student may be suspended or expelled solely for violating a cell phone or smart device policy adopted under the statute. A separate section of the Code of Virginia says a phone-policy violation alone is not sufficient cause for suspension or expulsion. The law also says enforcement is the responsibility of school administration, should minimize disruption to instruction, and should not involve school resource officers. (doe.virginia.gov) ### Where do parents find the rule for their own district? The Virginia Department of Education maintains a statewide tracker of local school-division phone policies. The department says the list is updated as policies are received from school divisions, giving families a place to check how their own district is implementing the statewide requirement. (law.lis.virginia.gov) The current statewide framework comes from a two-step process. Executive Order 33 launched the state’s cell phone-free education effort in 2024, and the General Assembly later codified the bell-to-bell requirement through legislation including HB1961 and the 2026 amendment in SB108. (doe.virginia.gov 1) (doe.virginia.gov 2)