executive budget<\/a> provides $13.5 million to aid in the implementation of this proposal for device storage pouches, cubbies or other necessary infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\nMore than 70% of teachers nationwide say that cellphones pose a \u201cmajor distraction\u201d for students in the classroom, according to a Pew Research Center study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not developing the skills we need because kids are distracted with the cellphones,\u201d Gov. Hochul said at a press conference last Tuesday. During class, she said teachers are competing for students\u2019 attention with \u201cviral dances \u2026 messages from their friends, sometimes threats [and] bullying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students, parents, teachers, administrators, advocates and local leaders met with Gov. Hochul to \u201cdevise a solution\u201d to the \u201ccomplicated challenge\u201d posed by smartphones in schools. The policy, to be implemented by the start of the 2025-26 school year, will require students to disconnect from their devices throughout the school day \u2014 including class time, at lunch and in the hallways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schools will have flexibility in implementing the policy next school year, she explained. Districts will have say over how they store the devices and how they will ensure compliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students who need devices for medical reasons, students who speak English as a second language and students with learning disabilities will be exceptions to the policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Riverhead Central School District, teachers and administrators are authorized to confiscate student cellphones that are being used in violation of the code of conduct. Teachers and administrators can request that phones not be permitted in class during the school day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a comment sent to Riverhead News-Review, the Riverhead district said it is in the process of revising its code of conduct to incorporate verbiage that will align with the governor\u2019s proposed policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students at Shoreham-Wading River High School must check in their personal devices when they enter each classroom and retrieve them after class. High school students are allowed to access their phones when they are not in an instructional period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For students in kindergarten through fifth grade, the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District prohibits personal devices from being brought to school. For grades 6 through 8, any personal devices that are brought to school must be stored in student lockers during school hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The district said its current policy was developed in collaboration with family, students and staff. Shoreham Wading River Superintendent Gerard Poole said the policy \u201chas successfully enhanced student engagement while reducing classroom distractions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs New York State considers device-free legislation, our district hopes that the final policy will preserve local decision-making authority and continue to allow meaningful parent involvement in developing these plans,\u201d Mr. Poole said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
School districts out on the North Fork weighed in on the issue as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mattituck-Cutchogue School District Superintendent Shawn Petretti believes the concept of a cellphone ban by the governor is \u201cwell intended\u201d and that detaching students from cellphones during school hours creates a \u201cproductive and safe learning environment.\u201d He feels that policy regarding the implementation of such a ban should be discussed at the local level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think local Boards of Education should be the ones designing and implementing policies for their districts,\u201d Mr. Petretti said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His district implemented its own policy regarding the use of personal devices this year. At the elementary level, students with personal devices should keep them turned off and out of sight. At the junior high, students are not allowed to have their phones out at any point during the school day. High school students can have phones throughout the day, but when they walk into a classroom, they are placed in a designated spot for the duration of the class period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Petretti said that the policy has been well received by the school community. \u201cStudents do appreciate the ability to disconnect from their phones and focus on their academics during school time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the current policy in the district has received positive feedback, Mr. Petretti said he doesn\u2019t \u201cnecessarily agree with a full ban where the secondary students would have to surrender their phones for the full day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students in the Greenport School District are allowed to have cellphones in school, with use allowed at teachers\u2019 discretion. To minimize distraction, phones are required to be put away during class time unless permitted by the teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greenport interim superintendent Ryan Case added that the district recognizes the importance of communication between parents and their children, particularly in emergency situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf the state issues a directive requiring changes to cellphone policies, we will review the guidance and implement a new policy accordingly while maintaining a focus on our students\u2019 learning environment,\u201d Mr. Case said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Southold School District Superintendent Anthony Mauro said the district is still reviewing the first draft of the state budget, including the device-free schools proposal. He said the district will plan to carry out any new initiative once the final version of the state budget is released and requirements are outlined. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is certainly merit to unplugging during the school day, but I also feel there is merit to teaching students how to appropriately utilize technology, since it is such a big part of their lives,\u201d Mr. Mauro noted. \u201cBalance is the key to successfully integrating technology into our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Oysterponds Union Free School District, Superintendent Justin Cobis said the Board of Education has not had a policy regarding cellphone bans in its kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms, as phones have never been an issue there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always err on the side of local control, and I always would err on the side of local districts deciding what is best for their constituents,\u201d Mr. Cobis said. \u201cThat being said, we would always move forward and be in compliance with state issues such as this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her plan last Tuesday to include \u201cdistraction-free\u201d schools as part of the 2026 fiscal year executive budget. The policy outlines restricted use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices on school grounds during school hours. The executive budget provides $13.5 million to aid in the implementation of this proposal for device storage…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2130,"featured_media":124400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1743,3693,35],"tags":[17614,17615,14807,13186,7734],"coauthors":[17503],"class_list":["post-124399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-featured-story","category-government","category-news","tag-cell-phone-bad","tag-distraction-free","tag-gov-kathy-hochul","tag-premium","tag-school"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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