Frederick County panel considers 'bell-to-bell' ban on student cellphones after teacher survey

The Student Conduct and Support Committee of Frederick County Public Schools reviewed staff survey results and disciplinary data on cellphone use at a Feb. work session and signaled support for tightening the division’s cellphone regulation to a bell-to-bell prohibition to take effect before the 2025–26 school year.

Committee staff presented the timeline and the differences between Governor Glenn Youngkin’s July 9, 2024, executive order and the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) Sept. 17, 2024, guidance. “For elementary and middle school levels our regulation is in step with the final guidance from VDOE,” said Miss Jordan, an FCPS staff member leading the briefing. She noted the primary difference at the high-school level: FCPS currently allows student access during lunch and between classes, while VDOE’s guidance recommends a bell-to-bell restriction.

The presentation summarized a teacher survey issued Jan. 10, 2025, and discipline tracking tied to the student code of conduct entry BSO 13. Staff reported 501 survey responses (476 identified as teachers and 18 as administrators; other respondent categories were not…