Alexandria City High School is planning to roll out phone pouches with magnetic locks for its students in January or February, Principal Michael Burch told ALXnow.
In August, ACHS started the 2026-27 school year with a “bell-to-bell” ban of smartphones and other smart devices. The number of policy violations has dropped from 179 in the first week of school to under 100 in most recent weeks. During the week of Nov. 2, 2026, the number of cellphones collected due to policy violations dropped to 48, Burch said.
“Instructional staff have reported fewer interruptions and more face-to-face engagement,” Burch said. “On average, the first three weeks of school came to about 147 phones being collected a week. The three most recent weeks came to about 78, a drop of nearly half.”
One ACHS junior against the pouches said that students should be able to contact their parents in case of an emergency.
“Allowing students to keep their phones does not mean that they should use it during class,” the student said. “Having a phone could help students feel less alone and give families peace of mind. No student should have to worry about being unable to reach their family when they need help.”
The student added, “Phones are useful tools during emergencies because they allow students to contact parents and call for help when appropriate and receive important updates. If a student is injured or separated from their class during an emergency, a phone could help them communicate with others or emergency services. And having another way to communicate gives students an extra option when time really matters.”
Also in August, the Alexandria City School Board accepted a $158,000 donation to buy enough pouches to last the school for several years.
ACHS will notify families in December on how the rollout of the phone pouches will work for students and families, Burch said.
“The rollout of cellphone pouches is still anticipated to launch during the winter of 2027, planned for January/February,” Burch said. “Staff are in the final stage of reviewing procedures.”
The ‘bell-to-bell’ cell phone ban stemmed from state legislation that took effect July 1, building on cell phone restrictions Virginia school districts were required to adopt at the start of 2025.
Currently, Burch said that students who violate the policy have their phones or devices confiscated, and require a parent or guardian to physically sign and pick them up from the school office.
“[E]very phone collected is logged in a shared, network-wide tracker,” Burch said. “It records the date, the student’s academy, where the phone is secured and when and to whom it was returned. Student’s families receive a written notice through MINGA, and a parent or guardian signs for each phone at pickup. That provides staff a documented record from collection to return.”
