A stricter cell phone policy is on its way to Prince William County schools starting next school year. The school board approved a bell to bell ban at its meeting Wednesday night.
Several districts across Virginia have been adopting these policies because of an executive order issued by the governor earlier this year.
“I truly believe cellphones are a barrier to one’s potential,” said Babur Lateef, chairman of the Prince William County School Board.
The new policy requires students in all grade levels to have their cellphones turned off and put away from bell to bell in an effort to cut down on distractions during the school day and increase learning.
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“I think over time the research has shown that this dependence on the phones, the tethering to this technology is disruptive to learning and to maintaining a strong set of basic foundational knowledge for the work that needs to get done,” Lateef said.
Many districts in the area, including Prince William County, actually implemented stricter cell phone policies before the governor’s order.
However, this new ban is not sitting well with some students.
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"I haven't heard one person that's really supportive of it being taken from them all day," said Kathryn Haddock, a student at Woodbridge Senior High School.
A handful of students spoke out at the meeting and expressed their concerns about banning the devices.
"We believe that phones can be a really important tool to use in reporting unsafe situations for students,” said Ava Schelling, a student at Woodbridge Senior High School.
They’re hoping there is a chance to have the policy altered in the future.
"We deserve to have a voice in our school because everything that the school board is deciding and the governor is deciding about education involves us," Schelling said.
