HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 today, which directs the Virginia Department of Education to draft guidance for public school divisions to adopt local policies and procedures establishing cell phone-free education.

It is a move that pleases Harrisonburg School Superintendent Dr. Michael Richards.

“We’re right now in the process of standardizing our policies and looking at a stricter policy and enforcement of those policies,” Richards said. “So I have to say I’m pleased. Generally, I don’t like when governmental agencies step in and say: ‘OK, everybody’s going to do it the same way,’ but in this case I think it’s probably a positive move.”

In addition, the Governor announced that the Department of Education and the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services will make a combined $500,000 available from existing funds to support the implementation of this mental health and safety initiative.

Rockingham County Public Schools are also developing a new policy that would ban student cell phone use in the county’s high schools, as discussed at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.