Fairfax County to restrict student cellphone access at several schools as part of pilot program

FAIRFAX, Va. - A new pilot program will restrict student cellphone access at several Fairfax County Public Schools beginning in the fall of the 2024-25 school year.

Officials say the selected schools will be phone-free during the school day "in order to limit classroom disruptions and improve student engagement and learning."

The seven schools participating in the pilot program are:

- Frost Middle School

- Irving Middle School

- Jackson Middle School

- Poe Middle School

- Robinson Middle School

- Thoreau Middle School

- Twain Middle School

Here’s how it will work. During the week of September 2, students in the pilot program schools will receive a special cell phone storage pouch, called a Yondr pouch. The magnetic pouch blocks cell phone signals and prevents ingoing and outgoing calls, texts, and emails.

School officials say each student will bring their Yondr pouch to school each day and lock their phones inside each morning. Then, students will carry the pouch inside their bookbags. Airpods can either be kept in the pouch or in backpacks. Smartwatches must be off or on airplane mode.

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Officials say the no-cellphone policy will be enforced from bell to bell each school day. When leaving school at the end of the school day, students can unlock their pouches at a Yondr unlocking station.

Officials say parents and caregivers can contact the school’s front office in an emergency. If a student forgets their Yondr pouch, they will need to store their phone in the front office.

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

Last month, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin began cracking down on cell phones in schools when he issued Executive Order 33, which directs the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) "to draft guidance for public school divisions to adopt local policies and procedures establishing cell phone-free education."

Loudoun County Public Schools have also introduced a new, stringent no-cellphone policy starting this fall.

More information about the FCPS cellphone policy can be found online.