With winter break approaching, Richmond Public Schools is just over a month away from implementing a cellphone-free education plan as required by an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The board voted unanimously in November to update its Acceptable Computer System Use Policy to include the new guidelines prohibiting students from having certain electronic devices in their possession throughout the school day.
RPS Chief Wellness Officer Renesha Parks and John Beazley, the division’s safety director, presented implementation guidelines to the Richmond School Board on Monday.
Here’s what you need to know if your child is a Richmond student who is about to fall under the new policy.
What does the new policy require?
Under the new guidelines, cellphones and certain other personal electronic devices, including smartwatches and other Bluetooth-connected devices like headphones, are required to be powered off and stored away from a student’s person “bell-to-bell,” including during lunch and breaks between class periods.
Exceptions will be made for students who need devices for instructional or medical purposes, but they must be approved by school staff.
What if I need to get in touch with my child? What if they need to get in touch with me?
Parks and Beazley said RPS understands that there are situations where students and parents might need to be in contact — but that the division has protocols in place to allow for that communication without the use of students’ personal devices.
Parents or caregivers looking to get information to students should contact the school’s main office, while students who need to call their parents are asked to let a school employee know that they need to use a phone.
In the case of a schoolwide emergency, the division already has multiple channels for communicating with parents and caregivers — including automated texts and calls, emails or updates posted to websites and social media channels both for RPS and individual schools.
When does it go into effect?
Youngkin’s order requires school divisions to have policies in place by Jan. 1. Richmond schools return from winter break Jan. 6.
What happens if a student violates the new electronic device rules?
Students who violate the new rules will face tiered consequences based on division policy and the Student Code of Responsible Ethics. The first violation is set to result in a verbal warning, with confiscation of devices coming on subsequent violations.
Repeated violations — or serious offenses such as cyberbullying or using devices for academic cheating — could lead to more severe disciplinary action, including potential out-of-school suspension.
Are there specific procedures in place for confiscating devices from students?
The guidelines outlined by the division state that a school staffer who observes a student in possession of a device that should be stored away should contact an administrator to collect the device, which will be stored in a designated location.
The staff member will fill out a confiscation form that records relevant information — the student’s name, what type of device, why it’s being confiscated — and the school will notify the student’s parent or guardian of the confiscation and process for retrieving the device.
Tell me more about retrieving the device.
The first time a student violates the device policy, their items will be returned to them at the end of the school day. A second violation will require a parent or guardian to come to school to retrieve the device.
Additional subsequent violations could result in devices being held for a longer period of time, including until school administrators have had a chance to meet with a parent or guardian.
Is anyone going to be looking at my child’s device while it’s confiscated?
Per the presentation from Parks and Beazley, school leaders are “required to inspect confiscated devices if there is reasonable suspicion of their use in prohibited activities or violations of school policy.” Law enforcement officials may also confiscate devices if the inspection determines a criminal offense has taken place.
However, the presentation notes, “access to personal data will be limited to authorized personnel … and only for legitimate purposes.”
Are there any more chances to voice an opinion about this policy?
RPS held four community sessions in the fall to solicit feedback from the public on how to implement a cellphone-free education plan. The division also sent out an online survey that it says received 2,300 responses.
The division is still accepting feedback and questions at [email protected] and plans to distribute another survey before spring break to gauge “stakeholder perspective” since the implementation of the new rules.
