At the direction of Executive Order 33 from Governor Glenn Youngkin, the School Board of the City of
Portsmouth, at its Sept. 26 meeting, approved a cell phone-free education policy for Portsmouth Public
Schools.
The policy limits cell phone use in middle and high schools to just before- and after-school. At the
elementary schools, the policy outlines that cell phones are not allowed at all on school grounds. All
students can use cell phones on buses going to and from school.
In addition to limiting distractions in the classroom, this policy helps to address serious mental health
concerns connected to cell phone-use. Specifically, according to studies that have been compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, spending more than three hours a day on social media
doubles the risk of poor mental health for adolescents. Research from the American Psychological
Association (APA) found that children spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media with
platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram accounting for 87 percent of children’s social media use.
To see the complete and finalized policy for Portsmouth Public Schools, visit ppsk12.us/cellphones.