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“We've protected our kids before from cigarettes, alcohol, and
drunk driving, and now we're protecting them from addictive
technology designed to hijack their attention,” Hochul said in
announcing the plan as part of a tentative budget agreement with
state lawmakers.
Hochul, a Democrat, did not immediately detail plans for the
ban. Her office has previously said that schools would have some
flexibility over how to implement it, with districts deciding
how to store students’ devices during the school day. There
would be exemptions for students who need access for medical
reasons, to help with learning disabilities or because they
don’t speak fluent English, she has said.
If approved, New York would join at least eight states —
California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South
Carolina and Virginia — that have enacted measures banning or
restricting students’ use of cellphones in schools. Nationally,
most schools say they prohibit cellphone use except for academic
purposes, but educators say the rules are difficult to enforce
when students are allowed to have the devices in hallways and at
lunch.
“Bell-to-bell” bans like the one Hochul described are meant to
remove the distraction altogether by restricting access during
school hours, often over the objection of parents who say they
want to be able to reach their kids during emergency situations.
New York City, which has the largest school district in the
country, last year abandoned discussions for a cellphone ban
because of parent concerns.
Lawmakers are expected to begin voting on the $254 billion state
budget this week.
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