Inside One State’s New Classroom Cellphone Ban

From the state capital to an isolated wireless exclusion zone, parents, educators, students, and officials weigh in on West Virginia’s approach.

A student walks past a classroom that has pockets on the back of its door to hold smartphones at Petersburg High School in Petersburg, W.Va., on Aug 27, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

PETERSBURG, W.Va.—Science teacher Linda Lou Carlson stared at her cellphone. It was pointed at a blue model of an aquaporin—a protein that channels water in and out of cells.

The phone app that pairs with the model’s QR code was taking a little while to work.