A new school year is almost here (buses start rolling in Gloucester and Mathews a week from Monday) and school divisions across Virginia are looking at what steps they need to take next in the wake of the Executive Order Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued last month to establish cell phone-free education throughout the commonwealth.
That is, except for Mathews County Public Schools.
Recognizing the disruptive effect that cell phones and similar devices can have on the classroom, the division effectively banned cell phone use from its schools last year.
During last month’s end-of-year school board meeting, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David S. Daniel reviewed the first year of its implementation. While there was some concern heading into the 2023-2024 school year among both students and parents, the cell phone ban was an overall success. One interesting side effect was that the school cafeterias were a lot noisier, as students who would normally be scrolling silently on their phones were inste...