Western Albemarle High School implemented many new policies for the 2025-2026 school year. These policies include SmartPass, the Away-For-The-Day phone policy, and weapons screening. The majority of these were put into place for all of the Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS).
The Away-For-The-Day phone policy is a state-wide program for all public schools of Virginia. WAHS staff, including principal Jennifer Sublette, have enforced the new phone policy by ensuring students’ phones stay in their backpacks throughout the day. When a student is on their phone during the school day, it is confiscated and taken to the main office. If this becomes a common occurrence, there will be a graduated series of penalties as a result of each confiscation.
It has been a challenge to implement the Away for the Day policy because some aspects of the school day can be easier on phones, such as recording videos for school projects. Overall, Sublette believes that it’s healthy for teenagers to limit screen time and take a break from their phones…