Students no longer allowed to bring phones to middle school
Albemarle County Public Schools has created a new policy for middle school students.
The school system sent a letter to parents announcing middle school students will no longer be able to carry their personal cellphones with them during the school day.
Students used to be able to have them on school property, but they had to be turned off and out of sight.
Middle school principals said they have been getting complaints from teachers about students using their phones during the school day.
They said research shows how this interferes with the ability of students to concentrate on their learning to "develop healthy relationships with one another."
A national poll also concluded that 80 percent of parents don't want their kids using phones during school hours.
"To ensure that students who need to talk with a parent always are able to do so, we will add phone lines in our school offices as needed," they wrote. "We also will continue to relay messages from parents to their children at any time. Students still will be able to use their computers to stay in email communication with you."
The principals said if it's necessary to bring a cell phone to school, it has to be in the students' locker during the day.