Governor Kathy Hochul announced late Monday that New York State would outlaw cellphones in public schools “bell to bell” starting in the upcoming academic year.
Hochul announced the plan as part of a tentative budget agreement with state lawmakers, saying, “We’ve protected our kids before from cigarettes, alcohol, and drunk driving, and now we’re protecting them from addictive technology designed to hijack their attention.”
Democrat Hochul did not immediately provide specifics about the ban’s objectives. In the past, her office has stated that districts will determine how to store kids’ gadgets throughout the school day, giving schools some latitude in how they implement it.
According to her, there will be exceptions for kids who require access for medical reasons, to assist with learning impairments, or because they are not fluent in English.
New York would join at least eight states that have passed legislation restricting or outlawing students’ use of cellphones in class if it is approved. These states include California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia.
The majority of schools across the country claim to forbid cellphone use outside of class, but teachers claim it is challenging to police these policies when kids are permitted to use their devices during lunch and in the hallways.
“Bell-to-bell” restrictions, such as the one Hochul outlined, are intended to completely eliminate the distraction by limiting access during school hours, frequently in defiance of parents who argue that they need to be able to contact their children in case of emergencies.
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Concerns raised by parents caused New York City, the nation’s largest school district, to shelve talks for a smartphone ban last year.
This week, lawmakers are anticipated to start voting on the $254 billion state budget.
