Recently, Loudoun County Public Schools changed policy 8655 to include personal devices, including personal laptops, phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and more. This will result in less and less accessibility to an ever-growing tech tech-driven world. This also limits students' contacts in case of an emergency. If there is any kind of emergency, a student will not be able to reach their family, letting them know if they are ok or not. This further restricts accessibility if a student is having tech issues or ever needs a more portable device. 

Many students have jobs or families they need to be in communication with. If a student needs to contact their family or employer about a situation or is just figuring out a scheduling issue while in between classes or even at lunch, this does not impact class time and is, in fact, considered a student's personal time. This also means if a family member needs to contact a student, they dont need said student to go to the office if the matter is time sensitive. 

Another concern is how this policy impacts students enrolled in higher courses. Many courses, including computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, and digital media, often require software, tools, or configurations that work better on personal devices than on school-issued equipment. Limiting personal technology may limit students’ ability to fully engage in coursework.

Additionally, completely banning personal devices even outside of class time raises concerns about practicality. During lunch, between classes, and in study hall, students are not in direct instruction and should be allowed access to their "personal technology". This time can be used to manage work schedules, talk with family members, check transportation updates in case of weather or scheduling, or resolve time-sensitive concerns. Limiting device use during non class time does not improve learning and instead creates unnecessary limits on communication, particularly for older students preparing for college and the workforce.

“Phones are distracting students in class.

More states are pressing schools to ban them.” NBC News, 27 February 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/phones-are-distracting-students-class-states-are-pressing-schools-ban-rcna140629 Accessed 16 December 2025.