Last summer, one Hanover school official warned of a “mobile device pandemic” as the division pondered an outright ban on all mobile devices during the school day.

That ban on communication devices — including cellphones, smart watches, earbuds, even mobile gaming devices — was active by the first day of the 2024-25 school year. Records from Hanover County Public Schools show teachers and administrators wound up confiscating more than 1,600 mobile devices.

Specifically, the policy says that all mobile devices must be powered off and put out of sight during the instructional day. That starts when students enter the school building in the morning and lasts until the final bell.

About 1,300 of those devices were taken from high school students. Another 300 were taken from middle schooler

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