Governor Kathy Hochul met with school leaders in Central New York on Tuesday to discuss upcoming bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions in classrooms, part of the state’s new Distraction-Free Schools law taking effect this fall.
The roundtable, held in partnership with the North Syracuse Central School District, included Superintendent Dr. Terry Ward, teachers, students, and parents. North Syracuse is among the more than 400 districts that have already finalized and submitted their distraction-free policies ahead of the August 1 deadline.
“As Governor, my priority is ensuring every New York student receives a high-quality education, free from constant clicking and scrolling,” Hochul said. “I’m encouraged by my discussion with Central New York districts that have already finalized their distraction-free policy, and I know New York will be ready to implement bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions on the first day of school.”
The new law requires all K-12 public school districts in New York to enforce full-day smartphone restrictions during the 2025-2026 school year. To help districts prepare, the state launched an online toolkit that includes a policy FAQ and other resources.
This roundtable follows similar events held earlier this month in New York City and the Capital Region, with more planned in the coming weeks.
Governor Hochul’s bell-to-bell policy creates a statewide standard for distraction-free schools in New York, including:
- Prohibits 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
Governor Hochul’s policy allows authorized access to simple cellphones without internet capability, as well as internet-enabled devices officially provided by their school for classroom instruction, such as laptops or tablets used as part of lesson plans.
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