Gov. Hochul's plan to ban cellphones in schools from 'bell to bell' facing pushback

ALBANY — New York State lawmakers and school groups are pushing back on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to ban the use of smartphones in classrooms, saying schools should have more control over the restrictions.

The Democratic governor, as part of her $252 billion budget proposal, called for a ban on the use of internet-enabled devices such as smartphones, smartwatches and tablets for the entire school day starting this fall. The budget is due April 1.

The proposed legislation aims to decrease screen time and social media use for students in an effort to protect their mental health, while increasing opportunities for learning and socialization.

"The focus should be on the teacher in front of the classroom. And during breaktime, the focus should be on deepening relationships, creating human connections whether it’s in the hallway, whether it’s in study hall, whether it's in lunch," Hochul told reporters following a March 11 news conference on the proposal.

Democratic majority leaders of the State Senate and Assembly have said they agree restrictions are necessary in the classroom, but they aren’t on board with the "bell-to-bell" requirement, which would prohibit the use of cellphones during free periods such as study halls, recess and lunch time.

"We, again, certainly agree that getting cellphones out of the hands of our children is a benefit to everyone. They’re there to learn. We want that," Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) told reporters on March 11. "But we also hear that there are districts that have gone ahead and done different things that they feel are working. We've heard from superintendents who want a little bit of flexibility, so we have injected that into the conversation as well."

In a joint memo this week, the New York State School Boards Association, The Council of School Superintendents, the School Administrators Association of New York State and the Conference of Big Five School Districts all backed legislation that would require schools to develop smartphone policies "while avoiding the imposition of a one-size fits-all model."

Hochul has said she’s holding her ground. "I’m committed to fighting for bell-to-bell. This is what the experts say, this is what the parents want, this is what the teachers want," she said.

‘Creating human connections’

The governor’s plan would require school districts, charter schools and boards of cooperative educational services, known as BOCES, to adopt a policy by Aug. 1 restricting the use of internet-enabled devices on school grounds for elementary, middle and high school students. It includes exceptions, such as for monitoring health emergencies or for educational purposes.

Schools would be required to post the policy online and it must include a way for parents and guardians to contact students during the school day. Schools also must post a report annually with enforcement data.

How schools store the devices is a local decision, and the budget proposal included $13.5 million in case schools need to purchase storage devices, such as magnetic pouches.

The proposal was lauded by New York State United Teachers, the state’s largest teachers union representing nearly 700,000 members.

The status quo isn’t working, NYSUT president Melinda Person told Newsday. "The bell-to-bell model is significantly better to support our students and give them a break from the distraction of social media and phones," she said. "This is a key time that our kids need to be together with their peers and with other adults that they’ve been missing out on."

Senate, Assembly proposals

The Senate Democratic majority proposal largely aligns with Hochul's, but makes a few changes requiring community involvement in the creation of the policy and allowing flexibility during noninstructional time. Schools must restrict the use of internet-enabled devices "at least during instructional time," according to the Senate proposal.

The Senate also added language to ensure students cannot be suspended for cellphone use violations.

The Assembly Democratic majority did not include the cellphone ban in their one-house proposal, but Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) told reporters his members support the ban.

"Members were kind of divided on whether you do one statewide plan or you allow the school districts to have flexibility," he said at a March 11 news conference. The Assembly one-house budget increased the amount allocated to schools for implementation by $25 million to a total of $38.5 million.

State school boards, administrators and superintendents groups applauded the flexibility of the state Senate proposal as well as a bill introduced this month by Assembly Education Committee Chairman Michael Benedetto (D-Bronx), which would require schools to have a cellphone policy but would ensure they are "individually tailored to specific school environments."

Bell-to-bell battle

Some districts already have adopted a bell-to-bell ban that’s proven effective, said Robert Lowry, deputy director for the state Council of School Superintendents. Others have put in place zones or times when older students can use their cellphones, helping them learn to make their own decisions about healthy cellphone and social media use, he said.

The state Education Department also has backed a local control approach.

The New York State Parent Teacher Association is supportive of the governor’s proposal, but also is supportive of the Senate proposal, particularly the suspension language and the push to increase community input, association executive director Kyle Belokopitsky said.

"We would prefer bell to bell restrictions on the use of cellphones in schools; however, we realize this is a negotiation," she said, adding that if bell-to-bell isn’t passed, she hopes there will be discussion about putting policies in place for noninstructional time. "We are hopeful that we can come to an agreement that’s supportive of a distraction-free learning environment."