PULASKI CO., Va. – Virginia schools are reporting positive results halfway through the first academic year of implementing the state’s new “bell-to-bell” cell phone policy, with administrators noting improvements in both academic focus and social interaction among students.
The policy, established through Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 33 in May 2025, restricts students from using cell phones during school hours.
“Overall, it’s been very helpful at minimizing distractions and helping us focus on learning,” said Adam Simpson, Principal of Radford High School.
School leaders across multiple districts report minimal resistance to the new rules. “In Pulaski County, we have a really good thing going,” said Superintendent Rob Graham. “Our students are using them the way they need to use them, and our staff has been very good about monitoring that. We’ve had very little problems.”
Improved Classroom Environment
Teachers have welcomed the change, appreciating the reduction in disruptions during instructional time. “There is a school-wide expectation, and teachers appreciate not having to spend instructional time on a device as opposed to spending that time on the kid,” said Jennifer Bolling, Principal of Pulaski County High School.
Unexpected Social Benefits
An unforeseen benefit has emerged in student social interactions, particularly significant for a generation whose social development was impacted by the pandemic.
“The socialization that we’re seeing from the bell-to-bell policy with the cell phones has improved greatly,” Graham noted. The impact has been so positive that some schools are considering extending lunch periods to accommodate increased student socializing.
Adam Joyce, Superintendent of Radford City Public Schools, observed that students themselves have adapted well to the change. “They may have wanted someone to say, put your cellphone down, and especially if I have to put my cellphone down, then I like it better when everyone else has to put their cellphone down. So it gives us a chance to interact and socialize.”
Reduced Social Media Conflicts
School administrators report an additional benefit: fewer conflicts stemming from social media use during school hours. This development comes as discussions continue about broader social media restrictions for minors.
Simpson emphasized the policy’s role in creating a more focused learning environment: “I think everyone realizes that cell phones are reality and that they’re everywhere, but that they’re a distraction. I think kids realize that too. So removing them from the whole school environment really freed us up and freed the kids up to learn.”