VIRGINIA NEWS— School divisions across Virginia consider a division-wide cell phone ban

By Nikita Bondale, Staff Writer

Currently, Prince William County public school teachers have the liberty of setting their own policies when it comes to cell phone usage in classrooms. However, many school teachers in the county have voiced concerns about increased cell phone use and distractions since the COVID-19 pandemic. Superintendent LaTanya McDade says that her central office is considering a division-wide policy for the first time which would implement a cell phone ban in schools. “We know that our students are hooked on their phones,” Charlottesville Superintendent Royal Gurley says. “They can’t put them down. Our educators say cell phones are just a disruption to teaching and learning.”