Beginning next year, DCPS students will not have access to phones or other personal communication devices during the school day. Teachers appear generally supportive of the new policy while student response has been overwhelmingly negative.
The guidelines prohibit students from accessing a cell phone or personal electronic device while on school premises during the school day. The ban includes not just phones, but also smartwatches, Bluetooth headphones, laptops, and tablets.
The policy is extremely restrictive and a step up from the previous DCPS policies which left the issue of phones to the discretion of the individual school. All phones and personal devices must be away during the school day, either in student backpacks, lockers, a locked pouch, or a designated place in the school – the exact location is up to the school. However, the schools will have to cover all costs around the chosen method – which poses a challenge for items like locked pouches or lockers.
Schools can grant students access to phones and personal devices for any of three approved reasons. Students can use school-issued devices for educational purposes during instructional time. Staff can approve access for extenuating circumstances, for example students who are parents of young children or have upcoming court dates. The last exception mentioned in the policy is for students with IEPs, 504 plans, Limited English Proficiency (LEP) plans, or individualized health care plans.
The policy states students must use school-based communication systems (such as classroom and main office phones) to contact parents, for parents to contact students, for staff and teachers to contact students, and in emergency situations.
Sophomore Lousie O’Connell said that “[the ban] feels like a not well-informed decision given the current student body and our overall reliance on phones.” Sophomore Kira Mitchiner points out that Jackson-Reed “is built on technology,” and gave examples like teacher announcements via the Remind app or DCPS updates posted on Instagram, both apps that are blocked on school provided computers.
Logistics required to adapt a phone policy for JR’s projected 1732 students are complex. Principal Sah Brown has said that administration is “thinking through implementation for the start of next school year.” Possible options include phone lockers, Yondr pouches, bins and more.
Security is a major concern and questions have been raised about how the safety of the phones will be ensured during the day, as the policy states DCPS is not responsible for theft or damage to phones. The additional time it would take to get through security and enforcement of the policy are also concerns. The policy would need to be adaptable to students leaving early, off-campus lunch, and other factors.
Students at JR are concerned about the ban. Freshman Leah Fletcher said that “while I’m not surprised about the ban, enforcing it at JR will be difficult and create more work for teachers and administrators.”
For Junior Will Nichols “[his] biggest concern is safety. [JR has] had lots of security threats and being able to communicate with our loved ones is very important.”
Freshman Owen Fedchack agreed with Klein and added that when phones were banned last year at Hardy Middle School, which he previously attended, it wasn’t effective and students “just found worse ways to disrupt class.” However, Klein mentioned that he believes the phone ban would “be good for JR socially because it would push people out of their comfort zones.”
Many teachers at JR support the phone ban. English teacher Caroline Szakats expressed support for the ban, saying that she thinks “phones are a huge detriment to learning and succeeding academically.” She added that many colleagues agree.
History teacher Amanda Chang said that “teachers would still have phones and could just call the front office or 911.” Interestingly, Szakats also shared a belief that “teachers should make an effort to not engage with phones either, they should be held to the same standard [as students].”
If the administration chooses Yondr pouches, it will not be the first time they have been used at JR. During the 2018-2019 school year, classrooms were given Yondr pouches that each student could put their phone in at the beginning and end of class. A Beacon study at the time found that after the 1st advisory, one-third of Yondr pouches were broken or destroyed due to overuse or student vandalism.
The program was discontinued after a year due to the PTSO’s withdrawal of funding. The program ended with mixed feelings from teachers, students, and administrators, and it is unclear how JR will prevent destruction of the pouches from happening again if the administration chooses to use Yondr Pouches.
The JR Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) recently published a comprehensive report on phone usage at JR. They reported near-universal usage, with 93% of students bringing phones to school daily. According to a report by the group, the biggest concerns, particularly among teachers, were the ability of students to focus and academic performance.
The recently published 2025-26 Student Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy came from the passing of the “Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act,” which was proposed by Councilmember Brooke Pinto. On June 4, the DC Council voted to advance the bill.
DCPS believes that students having access to cell phones and personal electronic devices during the school day is preventing them from reaching their full educational potential. They want to refocus instructional time on learning and ensure that the school environment fosters opportunities to engage and bond with peers and teachers. By eliminating the distractions that personal electronic devices have during the school day, DCPS students will be able to greatly focus on actual learning. Additional concerns by teachers, parents, and stakeholders over the damaging effects of electronic device possession, low test scores, and social media usage by young children and teenagers also contributed to this policy.
Looking forward to next school year, it is unclear how JR will enforce the new device policy. •