Frequently Asked Questions

Q1  Why do schools adopt a phone and social media-free policy?

The school day is when students need to be able to focus, learn, interact with each other, build

in-person community, and engage with teachers. Study data shows that having a cell phone, even

turned off in their backpack, decreases student test scores. A phone and social media-free school

gives students back many needed opportunities for development.

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Q2 Why does this need to be statewide legislation?

The schools that have adopted this policy are seeing amazing results. These schools tend to be the districts with more economic resources. All students in VT should have this benefit regardless of whether their parents have the time, education, or privilege to advocate for it.

The VT School Board Association supports this legislations and the many superintendents do as well, as long as costs can be contained. There are many low- to no-cost options that we can share with schools when this legislation is passed. We are here to support them choose from the menu of successful options tested out at other schools that are leading the way.

Most parents support this policy, but some will oppose vocally. Local school boards and principals are weary from heated meetings about school budgets. It's not fair to ask each school to wage these small battles on their own when we know it is best practice for student learning and mental health.

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Q3 What if my child needs their phone in case of a crisis or lockdown at the school?

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School security experts say phones can make children less safe in crisis situations for the

following reasons:

• Student use of cell phones during an unfolding emergency can distract their attention from safety and emergency response directions being given by school staff.

• Cell phone use by students can hamper rumor control and, in doing so, disrupt and delay effective public safety personnel response (this happened at Montpelier High School in 2023 when during a lockdown student texts were making the situation much more traumatic by circulating a rumor that two students had been shot--there was NOT even a shooter anywhere. It was all a hoax call to the police.)

• Cell phone use by students can impede public safety response by accelerating parental and community arrival at the scene of an emergency during times when officials may be attempting to evacuate students to another site.

• An entire student body trying to make calls can jam communications, interfering with first responders.

For more information: National School Safety and Security Services.

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Q4 How will parents/caregivers communicate with their children? If parents or guardians need to contact their child about something important during school hours, they can call the main office. Parents can forgo the convenience of texting their child during school hours for the more significant benefits of phone-free schools. Texting during the school day distracts students from engaging with their peers, teachers and support staff. By having 24/7 access, we prevent growth opportunities that our children need educationally, socially, and developmentally. If students text their parents every time they have a question, they miss the opportunity to think for themselves and develop problem solving skills.

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Q5 What if my child needs to contact me during the school day?

If the student needs to contact their parent or guardian during the school day a phone will be available in the main office.

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Q6 Why can’t teachers be in charge of the class and collect the phones?

Children need consistency and one policy for the entire school benefits all students. Teachers benefit by regaining classroom instructional time instead of having to police phones, as monitoring phones takes time and energy away from teaching and supporting students. If there is a consistently enforced building-wide policy in place then students are less likely to push back on the policy.

Q7 Why is it important to allow our children to be independent during the school day?

Students need to be given independence from their parents or guardians during the school day to develop foundational skills. Constant contact can fuel a cycle of anxiety for both students and parents. Research shows encouraging independence fosters a child’s self-confidence, resilience, problem-solving ability, and mental health.

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Children who are anxious to separate from their phones can seek the support of trained professionals in the counseling departments at their schools and find the support they need to help with their phone addiction. 

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Q8 What if my child has a medical condition that must be monitored by their cell phone?

A school shall require documentation from a licensed medical professional to support an exemption

such as diabetes or seizure monitoring. This exception is specific to the need only and still prohibits

cell phone use for any other purposes.

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Q9 What if my child has an IEP/504 plan?

It is extremely rare for a cell phone to be required for an IEP/504 plan. But if the situation did arise,

documentation is required and the exception is specific to the need only and still prohibits cell

phone use for any other purposes.

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Q10 Will it be harder for students to make connections and friends if they are offline all day?

Social media tends to foster asynchronous interactions leading to greater levels of anxiety,

loneliness, and depression. In-person socializing forms far stronger connections and supports the development of healthier social and emotional skills.

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Q11 Don’t some students benefit from having social media?

Even for students who use social media for connection and activism, it is still a distraction during

school hours. Schools work hard to foster a culture of inclusion. Their goal is to limit use during the school day to minimize disruption and mitigate the potential harms of social media dependency.

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Q12 Isn’t it better to teach kids to use phones responsibly rather than take them away?

Brain science research and expert psychiatrists say the adolescent brain is not able to manage the

addictive pull of cell phones and social media. The social media platforms and games that young

people spend much time on were deliberately designed to be addictive. Additionally, part of teaching

responsible use is creating phone-free zones that help students understand that phones are a tool

to be used at specific times in specific ways, rather than being something that is one and used 24/7.

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Q13 How will students learn digital literacy?

Students can become competent, skilled digital citizens without needing a handheld personal device at school (computer/digital literacy curriculum do not mandate each student to have a handheld cellphone to participate in digital literacy classes, but instead, rely on school-issued computers.) Adolescents deserve a break from devices created to steal their focus with features that are known to addict their developing brains.

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Q14 What is included as personal electronic devices?

• Cell phones (both phones that connect to the internet and non-internet connected phones that send and receive text messages, and make phone calls)

• Personal electronic devices such as electronic tablets and video games

• Airpods, earbuds and Bluetooth connected headphones

• Smartwatches and fitness trackers that connect to the internet

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​Q15 Does this mean a school can't use social media?

No. Schools can continue to use social media platforms to communicate with families and the public. We are asking students not to be on social media, but school staff can. This bill dictates that social media cannot be the ONLY form of communication because that would require students to use it. Many parents who are trying to delay getting their child a smartphone cite the communication for a sports team or club being the reason why they got it. School staff or volunteer coaches using social media to communicate with students has many privacy and boundary challenges, so many schools are already switching to other software such as Talking Points or Remind or Bloom that are not associated with the dangers of Social Media.

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