The Prince William County School Board appears set to adopt a bell-to-bell cellphone ban policy.
The board discussed three possible options ahead of its Dec. 4 meeting, where members are expected to vote on a policy.
Support appears to be coalescing around a bell-to-bell policy.
Held at the school driver's education range, the event was meant to "inspire students to consider careers in public service and skilled trades," a county press release stated.
FFM showcased various vehicles in the fleet and its maintenance equipment. The Prince William County Police Department also brought some emergency vehicles to show URHS students how to manage and maintain the vehicle during an emergency.
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At the November 6, 2024, Prince William County School Board meeting, multiple parents addressed the board with concerns and feedback about the district's pilot cell phone policy, which restricts student phone use during school hours.
The policy, which affects both middle and high schools, allows limited cell phone use for high school students during lunch and hallway transitions, while middle school students follow a stricter "off and away for the day" rule.
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At the November 6 Prince William County School Board meeting, residents advocated for adding Eid Al-Adha as a recognized holiday in the school calendar. This would allow Muslim students and families to observe this significant religious event without missing school.
Hifsa Khan, a resident of Gainesville, spoke on behalf of a group of parents, highlighting the importance of Eid Al-Adha within the Muslim community. “Eid Al-Adha is considered the larger of the two Eids we celebrate, and it’s deeply meaningful for us. It’s a time when we gather with family, worship, and reflect on shared values,” said Khan.
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The conversation centered around the effects of an ongoing pilot program restricting phone use during instructional time. The board considered two potential paths: maintaining the current guidelines with limited phone access or adopting a stricter “bell-to-bell” policy.
The board first implemented a cell phone pilot program at the start of the 2024–25 school year, following Gov. Glenn Youngkin's order to schools to develop and implement plans for cell phone-free learning by 2025. Prince William County Public Schools' current policy requires that cell phones be turned off and put away during class periods, with high school students allowed access during lunch and passing periods. The goal is to foster a more engaging classroom environment with increased face-to-face student interactions.
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One hot topic for discussion is the cell phone policy in schools—a decision that could shape students' school-day routines. Recently, the Virginia Department of Education suggested a strict “bell-to-bell” policy, which would prevent students from using phones entirely during the school day, including lunch and passing periods. However, Prince William County has a slightly different plan. Their proposed policy, if adopted, would allow high school students to use their phones during lunch and in hallways between classes, but keep devices out of sight and silent during class time. For younger students in elementary and middle school, phones would need to stay stashed away all day.
If this policy goes into effect on January 1, 2025, students who break the rule could face referrals and might even need to bring home a form for parents to sign. Tonight is the first time the public will get to hear details of this plan, and it’s sure to be a point of interest.
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According to a press release from I-66 EMP — an alliance of infrastructure companies contracted to work in a public-private partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation — the largest donation to date will be put toward a new mobile laboratory supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the county. Last year, I-66 EMP donated $23,000 to support the installation of maker spaces at middle schools in PWCS.
“Over the years, [I-66 EMP have] proven to be an unwavering supporter of public education here in Prince William. We’re appreciative of this donation and we’re excited to see the benefits for all our students,” Dawn Davis, executive director of SPARK, said.
I-66 EMP and PWCS have had a long-standing relationship; I-66 EMP was the platinum sponsor of SPARK’s regional science and engineering fair in 2020 and earned the Business Partner Award in the same year from SPARK.
“Supporting public education in the region we serve has always been of paramount importance to our company,” Nancy H. Smith, I-66 EMP’s director of corporate affairs, said. “And supporting STEM education is key to preparing students for a high-tech future. That’s why we’re pleased to work with SPARK to enhance STEM education in Prince William County.”
Press Release from Prince William County Public Schools:
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) recognized 13 Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) as 2024 Virginia Purple Star schools, including eight first-time designees and five renewals. Schools earning this distinction must apply to renew their status every three years. These newly designated schools join 39 existing PWCS Purple Star schools, bringing the total to 47. This impressive achievement means that nearly half (49%) of all PWCS schools now hold the Purple Star Designation. The Virginia Purple Star Designation is awarded to military-friendly schools that have demonstrated a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. Schools that earn the award will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display onsite.
The following schools earned the Purple Star Designation for 2024. Those schools with an asterisk * have renewed their Purple Star Designation:
- Alvey Elementary School
- Ashland Elementary School*
- Cedar Point Elementary School
- Gar-Field High School
- King Elementary School
- Osbourn Park High School
- Parkside Middle School*
- Pattie Elementary School*
- Porter Traditional School*
- Ronald Wilson Reagan Middle School
- The Nokesville School
- Triangle Elementary School
- Tyler Elementary School*
Pattie and Tyler Elementary schools both earned the Purple Star Designation for the second time. Ashland Elementary, Parkside Middle, and Porter Traditional earned the Purple Star Designation for the third time.
“I want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to each of the 13 schools that received the 2024 VDOE Purple Star Designation. When our military families see that a school is Purple Star designated, they can rest assured that their children are in an environment where they feel seen, supported, and valued. The commitment and hard work of these 13 schools is truly commendable. It’s inspiring to see such dedication to providing a nurturing and inclusive space for our military-connected students,” said Kimberly Simpson, PWCS military achievement specialist.
PWCS has nearly 5,000 military-connected students enrolled and is committed to recognizing and supporting their unique educational journeys. These students often face frequent relocations, requiring them to adapt to new academic and social environments more frequently than their civilian peers. Additionally, many experience the stress of a parent’s deployment, which can significantly impact them and their families. The Purple Star Designation program, adopted in numerous states, sets standards to designate military-friendly schools. It aims to address the unique academic and social-emotional challenges faced by military-connected students and their families.
“Virginia is now home to 484 active Purple Star distinguished schools. The programming, required by schools to receive the Purple Star award and maintain it, contributes greatly to fostering a safe and supportive school culture,” said Daniel Dunham, Virginia Department of Education military student and families specialist.
In total, 47 PWCS schools have received the Purple Star Designation since the program’s inception in the 2018-19 school year. For the full list of PWCS Purple Star schools, please visit the PWCS website.
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation has awarded Woodbridge’s Freedom High School $25,000 to build a dedicated outdoor learning space, which is expected to open in the spring.
As the home for the Center for Environmental and Natural Sciences (CENS) program, Freedom High School will now be able to provide students in this program with a necessary outdoor learning space, a press release stated. CENS allows students to engage in lab and field science, interactive research and hands-on projects.
Freedom High currently has outdoor gardens and walking trails but lacks an outdoor learning space. According to a press release, the goal is the connect the existing trails with a learning space to “hopefully reduce chronic absenteeism and boost student engagement.”
“Many of our students face barriers such as poverty, food insecurities, violence, homelessness, limited access to the outdoors and poor health,” Jessica Doiron, Ed.D., coordinator of specialty programs and advanced academics at Freedom High, said. “Providing students with a dedicated outdoor learning space, where students can explore and make connections with living systems, will help break down those barriers as well as increase attendance, decrease behavior issues, support physical and mental health and build a sense of community.”
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) aims to conserve land across the Commonwealth. Since it was founded in 1966, VOF has conserved more than 910,000 acres of land in 114 counties and cities. Earlier this month, VOF announced it was awarding nearly $1.7 million in grants to nine projects across the state; there’s an interactive dashboard available to see all of their conservation projects throughout their nearly 60-year history.
