How New York Schools Will Crack Down on Cellphones
For students in New York City's 1,600 public schools, something will be different when the 2025-26 academic year begins on Sept. 4, thanks to one sentence on Page 5 of an eight-page regulation that was approved last week: 'Students may not use personal internet-enabled electronic devices during the school day.'
Translation: No smartphones in class. Or in the gym. Or in the cafeteria.
Is it a ban? The Department of Education asked that question — but did not answer it — on a webpage explaining the new policy. But there is no question that the city's restrictions mirror state regulations championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who maintains that a 'bell-to-bell' prohibition through the school day would mean better learning and less cyberbullying.
Hochul is so committed to the idea that the $254 billion state budget deal for the fiscal year that began on July 1 included $13.5 million for school districts that need help purchasing equipment to store cellphones. Hochul said during a recent appearance with Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos that Mayor Eric Adams was putting in $25 million in New York City, where about half of the schools had already imposed regulations on their own.
The city's rules will differ from school to school. The Department of Education says that each school will develop its own policy, in writing. The FAQ section on the department's webpage says that children can take their phones to school, but that once they arrive, the phones must be stored. Phones can go into 'school-assigned personal or shared lockers' or cellphone pouches, but cannot simply remain in a backpack all day. 'Backpacks alone are not considered a sufficient storage option, unless they are kept in a closet or cubby that cannot be accessed by students without permission,' the webpage says.
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