How Did Year One of Cell Phone-Free Schools Go?
The Advance checked in with Stafford and Fredericksburg school divisions to see whether the cell phone-free policies implemented last summer were successful.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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Both Stafford and Fredericksburg public schools were among the many divisions that adopted cell phone-free policies or regulations last summer. One year after implementation, Stafford reports that its regulation is “working as intended,” while Fredericksburg reports that there is “still work to do” in terms of enforcing its policy, but that the division is “moving in the right direction.”
Stafford
Stafford’s regulation, which was implemented in June of 2025, states that “Students at all grade levels (elementary, middle, and high) are prohibited from using personal/electronic communication devices during the regular school day, which is defined as the start bell to the dismissal bell of each school.”
It continues, “Personal/electronic communication devices are required to be out of visible sight and either silenced or powered off. All such devices must be placed out of sight in a backpack or other personal bag.”
Violation of the regulation results in the cell phone or other personal device being placed in a locked pouch provided by the school. A parent or guardian “shall be required to report to school at the end of the school day to have the pouch unlocked by an authorized school employee… The pouch will not be unlocked until a parent/guardian reports to school,” with exceptions for “extenuating circumstances,” according to the regulation.
Marcie Robertson, executive director of high school leadership, said administrators “closely monitored implementation and outcomes” of the regulation in the five high schools. She said there was a 39% reduction in violations from the beginning of the year to the end—from 686 violations in August of 2024 to 420 in May of 2025.
The overall number of violations remained at 420 every month from January to May, Robertson said, “showing that students stayed on track even after winter break.”
“In May, there were 10,657 students enrolled in our high schools. Only 3.9% had violations—meaning over 96% were successfully following the policy,” Robertson said. “Every high school showed consistent improvement. For example, Brooke Point High School reduced violations by 51%, and Stafford High School saw a 40% decrease.”
Robertson said administrators also followed the regulation by contacting parents for every violation, “unless a special circumstance (such as travel or safety concerns for students who walk home) gave the principal the discretion to unlock the bag.”
“This approach reinforced accountability while allowing for reasonable flexibility,” she said.
Robertson said there are no plans to change the regulation “at this time,” and that any future adjustments will be made “only as needed to maintain fairness, consistency, and the focus on learning.”
“The data indicates the policy is working as intended, with students adapting early and maintaining positive behavior throughout the year,” she said. “Feedback from school administrators has been largely positive. They continually remark on improved student engagement and fewer classroom disruptions.”
Fredericksburg
The Fredericksburg School Board adopted a cell phone-free policy and accompanying regulation on July 1, 2024. The regulation states that personal communication devices must be powered off, locked in a school-issued Yondr pouch, and stowed away during the instructional day.
It states that students who violate the regulation will be subject to discipline ranging from “a warning to out-of-school suspension.” It also states that teachers “will not be required to confiscate a personal communication device from a student who is in violation of this Regulation.”
Marcus Petty, principal of James Monroe High School, said the division didn’t track violations of the regulation in a formal way.
“We intentionally did not use our referral system to address phone use. Instead, when a teacher saw a student with a phone, they simply contacted an administrator,” he said. “Our goal was to convey a message of support and behavior coaching, not punishment.”
Petty said school administrators did note “anecdotal trends and saw clear improvements in overall compliance and school climate.”
He said the administration averaged collecting 10 phone per day during the first semester and that there was some backsliding after winter break, with the average going up to 15 around February.
“In response, especially for students who repeatedly failed to follow the rule—we began requiring parent pick-up,” Petty said. “That expectation will now be in place from the beginning of this school year for repeat offenders.”
Petty said there was also some “slippage” around enforcing the ban on headphones and earbuds. “We were consistent in the first semester but saw slippage in the second semester. That will be a renewed focus this year,” he said.
Overall, Petty said, the policy and regulation have had “a positive impact at JMHS.”
“We saw more student-to-student and student-to-staff interaction, especially during lunch. We also noticed fewer off-task behaviors in hallways and restrooms. Removing cell phones from the day clearly contributed to a stronger sense of connection throughout the building. We still have work to do but we are moving in the right direction.”
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