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Virginia Beach school board amends phone regulation; vote later reopened for reconsideration
Summary
The Virginia Beach School Board voted to amend its regulation on student cell phones to remove an explicit allowance for high school students to use phones at lunch, citing state guidance ambiguity and new state law. The board later approved a motion to reconsider that vote, leaving the final status unresolved at adjournment.
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) School Board voted on June 24 to adopt an amendment to regulation 5-52.1 that removes language permitting high school students to use personal electronic devices during a designated lunch period, then later approved a motion to reopen that vote for reconsideration.
Why it matters: The decision comes as the state moves to codify “bell-to-bell” limits on student phone use and as local administrators, teachers and parents press for clarity about how the law should be applied. Board members and speakers focused on enforcement burdens, student safety and the lack of final guidance from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).
Chief Schools Officer Matthew Delaney presented division data showing a sharp rise in documented cell-phone discipline referrals after district enforcement increased this spring. "During the 2425 school year, there were…
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