CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Virginia Department of Education has issued the new school cellphone policy guidelines in response to Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order 33. Charlottesville Schools’ Beth Cheuk says these guidelines “are kind of hand-in-glove with what we do in Charlottsville”. She says the state language is having cellphone off and away from “bell-to-bell”, and Charlottesville schools’ is “off and away the entire day”.

If you have an emergency, tell the teacher and the student can go to the school office and use the cellphone. The school system last year was talking about later implementing Yondr pouches that would lock the phones away for the school day, but that was sidetracked by other issues. Cheuk said it’s still possible, but says any changes would be after getting community input as the guidelines also advise.

Click here for the entire new state guidelines.