Rockbridge County and Buena Vista school boards have joined Lexington in approving new rules that curb cell phone use in classrooms.
Rockbridge County’s school board voted Dec. 10 to approve its new policy. A draft was presented in November, and the final version is identical except for a minor clarification that exceptions should be “used and not abused,” according to Superintendent Phillip Thompson.
Buena Vista’s school board followed on Dec. 11, opting to implement a regulation rather than a formal policy —Superintendent Tony Francis noted that this approach will make future adjustments easier as state-level changes are anticipated in 2025.
These actions align with a policy the Lexington School Board passed in November. While Lexington requires students to store their phones in lockers, Rockbridge County and Buena Vista will allow devices to remain in backpacks. Under all three divisions’ policies, and in keeping with state guidelines and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 33, devices must remain turned off and stowed “bell to bell.”
The new policies take effort after the first of the year.
