Once again, a new phone policy has been adopted by Loudoun County Public Schools, only this time, there may be no way around it for students. 

In April 2025, a new Virginia State Law was passed by the Virginia General Assembly in regards to personal technology device usage in schools. This new law, unlike previous ones, is quite uncompromising. It states that students in all grades will have fully restricted use of personal devices during the school day, specifically, “bell to bell”. 

Under this amendment, “Bell to bell” is formally defined and states that once the first bell of the school day rings, all personal devices must be completely away until the dismissal bell rings at the end of the day. This means that even between classes and during lunch, devices must be away. The only exception to this rule is students with documented accommodations for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Section 504 Plan, individualized health care plan, or Limited English Proficiency Plan. 

According to the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) website, a smart device is defined as “any personal electronic device that can connect to the Internet and wirelessly collect, process, and transmit data, including smart watches and tablets.” Meaning personal laptops, earbuds, gaming devices, smart phones, smart watches etc. will all be prohibited on school property during the instructional school day. 

According to an LCPS press release from Oct. 30, “This new law will impact our existing practices and will restrict student access to personal technology during the school day.” The school board has been discussing updates to Policy 8655 that align with the new state law. 

While this law may seem sudden and somewhat surprising to students, LCPS’s adoption of Policy 8655 was created in response to feedback given by staff, students, and families within LCPS. Through media interviews, community feedback, division communication channel messages, and advisory committees, LCPS collected various opinions on the matter, resulting in the new policy. The policy is predicted to be finalized during the Dec. 16, 2025 school board meeting.

So, what does this mean for students? The new law permits students to use their personal devices on school grounds before the first bell rings and after the dismissal bell rings — but not in between. A major concern students and parents immediately have when hearing about this new law is the process for communication in case of an emergency. The policy states that, in case of an emergency, “parents may contact the main office of their child’s school.” 

While the law is public news, nothing is set in stone yet. If it is fully approved and finalized, students can expect for these changes to be implemented when they return from winter break on Jan. 5, 2026—stay tuned!