Cell phone policy
Why did we revisit our VPS cell phone policy?
There’s been a lot of conversation nationwide about how cell phones may affect students’ mental health and learning in school. This topic also received attention in the media, with people both locally and across the country sharing many different opinions and varying concerns.
Our previous district policy allowed each individual school to make its own rules about cell phone use, but we wanted to make sure this is the best approach for our students.
New cell phone & personal electronic device policy
Starting in 2025–26, personal electronic devices must be “off and away” during learning time (for elementary students, that’s all day; for middle and high school students, that’s during instructional time).
At their June 2025 meeting, the Board of Directors approved a new policy on students’ use of cell phones and other connected devices. Examples of personal electronic devices include, but are not limited to: cell phones, smartwatches, headphones or earbuds, tablets, gaming devices, and similar electronic devices.
What families need to know:
Cell phone policy
At their June 2025 meeting, the Board of Directors approved a new policy on students’ use of cell phones and other connected devices.
Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and experiences along the way. Your voices helped shape the current policy proposal.
What does a cell phone policy look like in action?
We asked if you had questions about how cell phone policy pilots played out in the day-to-day school life at a few of our schools that implemented similar rules this year. We compiled the questions we received and asked principals of those schools to answer them in this video.