New York lawmakers reach deal on 'bell-to-bell' school cellphone ban

Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News on Apr 29, 2025

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NEW YORK — New York lawmakers have reached a deal to ban cellphones from “bell to bell” in all public schools statewide, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

Starting this September, all school districts will have to implement policies that disconnect students from their devices from “bell to bell,” meaning kids won’t even have access during lunch or free periods. The plan comes with a $13.5 million state investment to help schools collect and store the phones.

“I’m proud that this budget establishes our landmark distraction-free schools policy,” Hochul announced Monday night at the State Capitol.

“We protected our kids before from cigarettes, alcohol and drunk driving, and now, we’re protecting them from addictive technology designed to hijack their attention.”

The plan put forward by the governor was originally met with some resistance by state lawmakers, who had reservations about a statewide mandate and sought to limit the restrictions only to classroom time. But by late last month, both chambers had warmed up to the idea of a bell-to-bell policy, the Daily News previously reported.

With the announcement, the New York Legislature joins a growing list of lawmakers taking action against phones in schools. About half of states, both red and blue, have laws that ban or restrict cellphone use during the school day, or urge local districts to do so, according to a tracker by trade paper Education Week.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his schools chancellor had previously voiced support for the restrictions, but raised concerns about the price tag.

Many schools rely on lockable “Yondr” pouches to store the phones safely and mitigate the burden on classroom teachers, which can cost about $30 per pouch. The city’s share of the statewide investment does not cover a magnetic pouch for every student.

In New York City, hundreds of public schools have already implemented cellphone restrictions, but Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos has warned against faulting principals for early adoption by denying them the new funding.

The city school system, the nation’s largest, could also seek a deal with Yondr or a potential competitor to buy the pouches in bulk — an idea raised by United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.

A districtwide cellphone policy is due to the state by Aug. 1, under Hochul’s initial proposal.

The state Legislature will vote on budget bills including the plan over the next several days.

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