Hochul & WNY school leaders highlight plans to implement bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions

Follows state law for smartphone restrictions in K-12 schools statewide

√ Students, parents and teachers can find their school district’s distraction-free policy at ny.gov/phonefree

Information Submitted by the Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul

Gov. Kathy Hochul held a roundtable Monday with Western New York school leaders, parents and students to highlight plans for implementing bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions when school resumes this fall. The roundtable included representatives of the Niagara Falls and Lackawanna school districts – both of whom have distraction-free policies in place. This event followed previous roundtables held by the governor this summer in New York City, the Capital Region, Central New York, the Hudson Valley and the Finger Lakes.

“Our kids succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling – and that’s why New York schools are ready for bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions this fall,” Hochul said. “My team will continue working with school districts across the state as they implement distraction-free learning and deliver the best results for students, parents and teachers.”

Hochul also encouraged students, parents and teachers to use ny.gov/phonefree as a resource to review their schools’ distraction-free learning plan and prepare for the upcoming school year. The website includes detailed plans for 1,070 public school districts, charter schools and BOCES across New York that have published their distraction-free policy – representing around 99% of the public school districts, charter schools and BOCES covered by the statewide requirement.

Niagara Falls City Schools Superintendent Mark Laurrie said, "It was an honor to have the governor in Niagara Falls to kick off such a critical policy for the mental health of our students. Her leadership on this topic is paving the way for a great start to the school year."

Lackawanna City School District Superintendent Nadia Nashir said, “ ‘Bell to bell’ gives students a healthy disconnection from social media and teaches them that there is a time and a place for everything. When you are in school, the focus must be on teaching and learning, and families can trust that, once students and staff are safe, our immediate priority is to communicate quickly, transparently, and in a language they understand. Parents and students also know how to reach one another at any time – through email, a call to the main office, the Remind app, or by visiting the school.”

The distraction-free schools law signed by Hochul requires bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions in K-12 school districts statewide, starting this fall for the 2025-26 school year.

Hochul’s policy creates a statewide standard for distraction-free schools in New York including:

•Prohibiting 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.

•Allowing 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.

•Securing $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage solutions to help them go distraction-free.

•Requiring schools to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day when necessary.

•Requiring teachers, parents and students to be consulted in developing the local policy.

•Preventing inequitable discipline.

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.

Additionally, the governor’s policy includes several exemptions to smartphone restrictions, including for students who require access to an internet-enabled device to manage a medical condition, where required by a student's individualized education program (IEP), for academic purposes or for other legitimate purposes such as translation, family caregiving and emergencies.

Hochul pursued this initiative after engaging in a statewide listening tour with teachers, parents and students. Her report, “More Learning, Less Scrolling: Creating Distraction-Free Schools,” underscores the following:

•Smartphones distract students and inhibit learning and creativity.

•Phone-free environments do not compromise student safety.

•Phone-free environments support the mental health of students and teachers.

•Open communication and direct guidance for all stakeholders is key for successful implementation.

•Schools must address any parent concerns about staying in contact with their children during the day.

•An effective distraction-free policy must focus on the entire school day, rather than solely on time in the classroom.

•Schools can strengthen their distraction-free environment by connecting more students with in-person engagement like clubs, sports, arts and other programming.