BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

State budget negotiations are still ongoing as lawmakers battle over a number of policy points but bell-to-bell cell phone bans will now be included in the budget.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced today, May 6, that New York would become the largest state to ban cell phones 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.” Governor 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 new requirement will go into effect for the 2025-26 school year and applies to all public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

The new policy creates a statewide standard that includes the following, according to the governor's office:

• No unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day (from “bell to bell”), including classroom time and other settings like lunch and study hall periods.
• Allows schools to develop their own plans for storing smartphones during the day — giving administrators and teachers the flexibility to do what works best for their buildings and students.
• Secures $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage solutions to help them go distraction-free.
• Requires schools to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day when necessary.
• Requires teachers, parents and students to be consulted in developing the local policy.
• Prevents inequitable discipline.

According to the governor's office, the policy also clarifies that students would still be authorized to have access to simple cellphones without internet capability, as well as internet-enabled devices officially provided by their school for classroom instruction.

North Country lawmakers have called for an end to the use of electronic devices in schools in recent months, though Assemblyman Scott Gray suggested there should be a balance struck when discussing bans.

He said while he opposed the "Bell to Bell" ban that would have totally eliminated phones from schools, he did say that restrictions needed to be put in place to ensure students did not have their phones during academic times.

Area superintendents also touched on the matter recently, including Massena Central Superintendent Ron Burke and Canton Central Superintendent Susan Todd.

Burke recently told NCTW he felt the responsibility being placed solely on school districts is somewhat misguided.

"In my opinion, we have students for less than eight hours a day and therefore a cell phone ban is only part of the solution.  Unfortunately, it seems to be the politically expedient solution that shifts the responsibility solely to the schools and away from the social media corporations and even from the family," Burke said.

While Massena continues to weigh changes to its policy, Canton has established their own policy in recent years to combat distractions in school.

According to Superintendent Susan Todd, elementary age students must put their cell phones in their room cubbies first thing in the morning and leave them there until dismissal.

Middle school students must put their cell phones in their lockers first thing in the morning and leave them there until dismissal.

Things change at the high school level, however, as those students are permitted to have their phones during their lunch break.