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Fairfax County Public Schools students must keep phones and other smart devices turned off and personally stored throughout the school day beginning July 1, 2026.
The restrictions were approved May 7 as part of broader changes to the Student Rights and Responsibilities regulation for the 2026-27 school year. That regulation sets expectations for student conduct, parent and guardian involvement, and adult responses to behavior.
The bell-to-bell rule applies to every grade level and covers phones, phone accessories, smart devices, and other personal devices connected to the internet. High school students will no longer be allowed to use those devices during lunch.
The policy brings FCPS into alignment with Virginia’s SB108, a new state law requiring all schools to maintain phone-free environments from the opening bell through the end of the school day. The law takes effect July 1.
Other revisions standardize and increase annual staff training through centralized online instruction.
The updated regulation also adds procedures for disciplinary investigations and in-school and out-of-school suspensions, including supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
Guidance and standardized disciplinary procedures have been expanded for harassment, hate speech, discriminatory conduct, and Title IX reporting. The revisions also establish offenses and disciplinary responses involving intimate images, fighting, physical aggression, thrown objects, and drug-policy violations.