Henrico students weigh in on school system's cell phone policy; What goes into the decision to delay or close schools in Central VA?

Jan 24, 2025

Henrico students from Highland Springs High School and Henrico High School share their thoughts on HCPS’ current cell phone policy, which allows students to use their phones in-between classes and during lunch, but not in the classroom. Henrico Schools and other Richmond-area divisions closed schools this week due to icy road conditions and safety concerns.

"It just feels wrong"

The return to school this month marked a new phone policy for some Virginia school divisions, but not Henrico County.

While other districts such as Richmond City and Hanover County have adopted the Virginia Department of Education’s recommended “bell-to-bell” phone ban, which restricts students from having their phone on them from the first bell until the dismissal bell, Henrico has so far stuck with its current phone policy, which it first adopted at the start of this school year.

But despite HCPS’ phone policy being the most lenient in the Richmond region, many students are still not a huge fan of putting their phones away, saying that it makes them feel more vulnerable if an emergency were to occur.

Winter weather has disrupted many Central Virginia schools’ schedules for a third week in a row.

Wednesday morning, many families woke up expecting delayed starts to the school day. But those delays would soon switch to school closings. Richmond, Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield all updated families of the changes between 7 a.m. and 8:45 a.m.

Central Virginia school districts say closures come down to road conditions and the calls made by experts.

Lawmakers are pushing for a groundbreaking pilot program at eight Virginia schools to transform school discipline by replacing punishment-first approaches with restorative practices aimed at racial disparities and supporting students.

Black students and students with disabilities are disproportionately removed from classrooms for behavioral issues, according to a study by the Legal Aid Justice Center. The study found that Black students made up 21% of Virginia’s student population but faced a much higher share of disciplinary actions. Similarly, students with disabilities, who represent 13% of the population, are disciplined at disproportionate rates.

The proposed Restorative Schools in Virginia Pilot Program, sponsored by Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond (House Bill 2196) and Sen. Stella Pekarsky, D-Fairfax (Senate Bill 1262), would provide nearly $2 million in grants to develop restorative practices in one school district from each of the state’s eight regions.