Now that the 2023-2024 school year is in the books, Mathews County’s Superintendent of Schools Dr. David S. Daniel took a look back at the first year of implementation of a division-wide student cell phone policy.

Daniel addressed the issue during the board’s special end-of-year meeting, which was held last Thursday morning in the Mathews High School media center.

In a special meeting last August, just a few days before the start of the school year, the school board adopted a policy that prohibits the possession and use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices by students during the instructional day and on school buses.

Daniel said he finds it interesting that a number of school divisions, both in Virginia and across the country, are moving toward tighter regulations on cell phone use and following Mathews County’s lead.

Overall, feedback from teachers and building administrators has been positive, he said. One interesting side effect of the cell phone policy,...