Tuesday, March 18, 2025
In an effort to eliminate distractions and keep students focused on learning, Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a plan to ban smartphones in schools as part of her fiscal year 2026 executive budget.
Hochul’s initiative is intended to improve students’ mental health, safety and academic performance, she said in her budget presentation on Jan. 21. States such as California, Florida and Indiana have already implemented similar policies on smartphones in classrooms.
The idea for New York to follow suit was brought up last year, but due to parental concerns about being able to reach their children, it was put aside. Hochul had hinted at the idea of revisiting the initiative for months before making her announcement.
“I am announcing today a proposal that will transform our classrooms, return them to a place of learning and that establishes a new statewide policy to make classrooms in the state of New York distraction free,” she stated in a news release.
If the $252 billion budget is approved, the ban would begin at the start of the 2025-26 school year, with students having to disconnect from their phones throughout the school day, including during lunch and while walking the hallways.
School districts would implement their own plans for enforcing the ban, with a proposed $13 million in funding from the state to help pay for phone-storage systems such as cubbies and pouches. Every district, Hochul said, must have a policy in place to help students thrive without their smartphones.
Lawrence school district Superintendent Ann Pedersen said that the district was planning discussions to ensure that community members understood the impact of the plan and how it would be implemented.
“We will be conducting discussions at both the middle school and high school levels,” Pedersen said. “In the past, we have utilized the Yondr pouches with varying degrees of success. A schoolwide approach, coupled with the ongoing conversations, is essential to ensure this initiative is both understood and respected across the entire school community.”
The plan includes exceptions for students with medical needs or learning disabilities, those who are non-native English speakers, and those who have Individualized Education Programs.
State elected officials have joined forces to show their support for the plan. State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said that it is critical that lawmakers keep in contact with teachers, parents and students to make sure that school districts can implement the ban safely.
“As a mother of four, I know firsthand how essential a distraction-free environment is for our students’ success, and it’s clear that cellphones have been disrupting classrooms,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “This initiative is a positive step forward, but it’s critical that we as lawmakers continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure our educators have the resources, they need to implement these policies.”
After what she described as a statewide listening tour, Hochul created a report titled, “More Learning, Less Scrolling: Creating A Distraction-Free Schools.” It concluded that smartphones are distractions in classrooms, and that phone-free environments don’t compromise student safety, and help support mental health in students.
In addition to banning unsanctioned use of devices throughout the entire school day, and flexibility for schools to develop their own systems for storing them, the plan requires each district to provide ways for parents to contact their children during the day if needed.
Hochul’s initiative has also received support from organizations including the United Federation of Teachers, Mothers Against Media Addiction, the New York State Police and the NAACP New York State Conference.
