What is the cell phone policy at your child's school in the Washington DC area?

OMCP has compiled a list of key cell phone policy details for each of the major school districts in the DC area.

From vaping to the cost of school supplies to cell phone policy, the WTOP team explores the hot topics in education in the Washington, D.C., area. Join us live and online in our “WTOP Goes Back to School” series in August and September.

The use of cell phones in schools has become one of the most controversial topics in the Washington DC area as the new school year approaches.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s July executive order establishing the need for cellphone-free education statewide — and the Virginia Department of Education’s draft guidance calling for cellphone-free schools “from bell to bell” — are measures that have brought the impact of cellphone use on education to the forefront.

In a region with so many large school districts, it can be difficult for students and families to understand the details of their school’s cell phone policy.

OMCP has compiled a list of key cell phone policy details for each of the major school districts in the Washington, D.C. area. Read on to learn what rules apply to your child’s school.

DC

The Washington DC public school system does not have a general policy regarding cell phone use by students. Each school may set its own rules regarding when children can access their devices.

For example, Dunbar High School in Washington DC has a “zero tolerance policy on cell phone use during the school day.” Meanwhile, students at School Without Walls in Washington DC receive a “general reminder” after the first classroom violation of its cell phone policy.

Maryland

Montgomery County

Montgomery County Public Schools students may have “personally owned mobile devices” — including cell phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, smart watches and e-readers — at school and during school-sponsored activities, but may not turn them on for independent use until the end of the school day.

The devices may be used on the school bus, provided they do not interfere with the “safe operation” of the vehicle.

In all schools in the district, students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 plan for individuals with disabilities may use a device as an accommodation for their special needs. On a case-by-case basis, principals may coordinate with school staff to allow students without an IEP to use devices as an accommodation.

The district suggests that each middle and high school in the county develop a universal approach to the use of devices in the classroom. Teachers may allow the use of devices as part of classroom instructional activities, if permitted by their school leadership.

Middle and high school students can use their devices during lunch.

High school students may use their devices between classes, but this is at the discretion of the principal. Middle school students may not use their devices during breaks.

Prince George’s County

According to Prince George’s County School Board policy, students may use cell phones only before school hours, after school hours, during extracurricular activities (if authorized by a supervising adult such as a coach or administrator), during school-sponsored evening or weekend activities, and in emergencies, with permission from a supervising adult.

Students are also prohibited from sharing images taken with mobile phones online during class hours.

Additionally, cell phones must be stored out of sight in students’ backpacks, purses or lockers. They must be turned off completely, not just on “silent” or “vibrate” mode, the policy states.

If a student violates the cell phone policy more than once, his or her sanctions will be more severe as follows:

First offense: The student’s mobile phone will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end of the school day, with the school being responsible if the device is lost or damaged during the confiscation period.
Second offense: The student’s cell phone will be confiscated and returned only to
the student’s parent or guardian. The school will be responsible if the phone is lost or damaged during the confiscation period.
Third offense: The student will be prohibited from bringing a mobile phone
school for the remainder of the school year.
Any other offence: Students who repeatedly violate this policy will face “additional disciplinary action consistent with the Student Code of Conduct,” according to the policy.

Virginia

Arlington County

Currently, Arlington County Public Schools requires all elementary and middle school students to keep their phones “off and away” for the entire school day, while high school students can only use their devices outside of instructional periods, such as during lunch or between classes.

WTOP’s Scott Gelman reported last month that some local parents would like to see the “out and away” policy applied to all students in the district, including high school students.

“We all agree, because we know that just telling kids to turn off their devices and put them away doesn’t work,” Sheila Kelly, a parent and member of the Arlington Parents for Education group, told WTOP. “I think we all know, as adults, that when we have access to our phones, we can’t always be told.”

Fairfax County

Virginia’s most populous county is tightening cellphone restrictions for middle and high school students next school year.

WTOP’s Scott Gelman reported last month that seven middle schools and nine high schools in the county will participate in cell phone storage pilot programs.

In class, high school students must leave their phones in a hanging pouch or storage locker. However, the devices can still be used during lunch breaks and passing times.

Starting the week of September 2, students at select middle schools will receive a Yondr pouch, a magnetic pouch that can only be unlocked at an unlocking station at the end of the school day. Students must secure their devices in the pouches at the start of the day and store the pouches in their backpacks.

Loudoun County

Loudoun County Public Schools is introducing stricter rules regarding cellphone use this fall.

The new 8655 policy introduced updated guidelines for elementary, middle and high school students, WTOP’s Neal Augenstein reported last month.

Elementary students in the district cannot use their devices at all during the school day unless their parent or guardian requests otherwise and is granted an exception through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) accommodation.

For middle school students, phones must be kept in their lockers on “silent” mode during the day, to be used only before and after school.

A last-minute amendment from board member Anne Donohue deepened the policy’s impact on high school students. Initially, students were allowed to keep their phones in their pockets or backpacks as long as they were on “silent.”

Donohue’s amendment removed that option, requiring high school students to keep their devices “in a classroom storage location” that is not immediately accessible.

She told WTOP: “If the devices are allowed to be in students’ pockets or backpacks, our students have a hard time not checking them if they’re within reach.”

Prince William County

By next year, Prince William County plans to expand a pilot program restricting cellphone use in the district’s middle and high schools.

The “off and away” policy, already in effect at some schools in the county, requires middle school students to keep their phones turned off and put away for the entire school day. High school students must keep their phones away during class hours.

In July, Prince William School Board President Babur Lateef told WTOP news partner InsideNoVa that the district plans to expand these policies to every one of its schools.

Students will be able to use their phones in case of emergencies, Lateef said. He added that exceptions will be made for children with medical conditions or IEPs.

“We haven’t had any pushback from parents, and in the schools that implemented this last year… students have been pretty cooperative and it’s worked pretty well,” Lateef told InsideNoVa in July. “We continue to get reports that students seem more focused, there are fewer distractions in the classrooms. The hallways are actually noisier because people are talking to each other.”

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