Dear Families,
This May, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York State will require all school districts to place restrictions on student use of cellphones and other personal electronic devices while at school. This new legislation is effectively a “bell-to-bell” ban in which students will not have access to their phones during the school day, starting with the 2025-26 school year.
The new mandate includes the following:
Unsanctioned student use of internet-enabled personal devices (smartphones, tablets, smart watches, etc.) is not allowed in school buildings and on school grounds during the regular school day (from “bell to bell”), including classroom time and other settings like lunch, recess, and study hall periods.
Schools must develop a policy for storing student phones and smart devices during the day and provide parents with an alternate way to contact their children when necessary. This policy must be completed and in place by August 1, 2025.
Schools must consult with stakeholders (students, staff, parents) in developing this policy.
There are a number of exemptions, including the use of devices needed for specific educational purposes, a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), to manage a medical condition, or for students who are caregivers.
Schools must publish non personally-identifiable demographic data at the end of next school year on how this policy is being enforced, and address any inequalities in enforcement.
We have been keeping a close eye on this situation ever since Governor Hochul first proposed restricting student smartphone use in schools. Now that her proposal has been signed into law, we will begin to develop our plan to meet this mandate and, as always, will provide you with additional information as we move forward.
The District is putting together a stakeholder committee to assist us in developing our policy. The committee will include two students, two parents, two administrators, two support staffers, a Board member, and myself. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact me at kourta@chatham.k12.ny.us by Monday, June 2nd.
Fondly,
Andrew Kourt
Chatham Superintendent