N.Y. set to become largest state in U.S. to enact school cellphone ban

From our article that went up today:

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday that New York will become the largest state in the nation to require statewide, bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones in K-12 schools.

“New York was the first state to target addictive social media feeds — and now we’re the largest state to restrict smartphones in schools throughout the entire school day,” Hochul said. “I know our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling — and that’s why New York continues to lead the nation on protecting our kids in the digital age.”

The cellphone ban is part of an agreement and enactment of the state budget, which included a $13.5 million investment to help schools implement the ban. The tentative budget agreement will go to the state legislature for a full vote.

The proposed cellphone ban in New York schools would be in place starting in the 2025-2026 school year and apply to all schools in public school districts. Charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services would also be under this requirement.

About the ban: Every student would be required to disconnect from their device during school hours bell-to-bell. This means there will be no unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices on school grounds K-12 schools for the entire school day — including settings like classrooms, lunch, and study hall periods.

The policy proposed by the governor clarifies that students will be able to have access to simple cellphones without internet capability, as well as internet-enabled devices officially provided by their school for classroom instruction, like laptops or tablets used as part of lesson plans. Schools would also be required to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day when necessary.

Submitted May 06, 2025 at 11:39AM by statenislandadvance https://ift.tt/U0NgSZV