NYS' school cellphone ban will take effect soon. Here's how Long Island districts plan to enforce it.

Most Long Island districts will require middle and high school students to leave their cellphones in their lockers when they return to school this fall to comply with a state ban that prohibits use of the devices during the school day, a Newsday analysis found.

More than 94 districts said they will use lockers for storage and at least 19 said they will use lockable pouches as another option, including some of the Island’s largest districts such as Brentwood and Smithtown, according to a Newsday review of policies from Long Island's 124 districts.

School districts were required to adopt plans to enforce the state cellphone ban by Aug. 1. Newsday obtained the policies for more than 120 districts, including draft versions from several systems, including Elmont and Brentwood, that are to be voted on later this week. A few others, including Wainscott and Sagaponack, are small districts serving children up to third grade and officials there said their students generally do not bring cellphones to school.

A Newsday review of district policies found widespread similarities regarding where students can keep their devices during the school day or how parents can contact their children.

The new policies were implemented after Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to ban smartphones in school was approved as part of the state budget in May. The prohibition aims to minimize distraction and improve students’ mental health, the governor has said.

The so-called “bell-to-bell” ban takes effect this school year when the Island’s 420,000 public school students return to the classroom in the coming weeks. The new rule does not apply to private schools.

District officials said they are bracing for a hectic September as students, especially those in upper grades, adjust to the new rules.

“September is going to be somewhat of a challenge,” Levittown schools Superintendent Todd Winch said. “I imagine there'll be some growing pains.”

Here is what parents and students need to know before the start of the new school year.

How is 'bell-to-bell' defined?

The ban prohibits students from having access to all personal internet-enabled devices from the first bell until the last. That includes free periods, recess, time students spend in the cafeteria or passing in school hallways. 

In Jericho, for example, the ban would be in effect from 8:25 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. for elementary schoolchildren, 7:26 a.m. to 2:03 p.m. for middle schoolers and 8:59 a.m. to 3:31 p.m. for high schoolers.

Students who are allowed to leave their campus for lunch would not be subject to the ban while they are off school grounds.

What about after-school activities and field trips?

The state ban only restricts access during the school day, but the most recent state guidance said districts may expand it to limit phone use on school property beyond the instructional day.

Not all districts spelled out their rules for after-school activities, which typically would not be covered by the ban. A few districts, like Sag Harbor, said administrators may extend the ban during other times of day in certain circumstances when students are on school grounds or off school grounds during field trips.

What devices are banned?

The ban applies to any internet-enabled devices, meaning smartphones, smartwatches and tablets. Students can still use cellphones without internet capability and internet-connected devices like Chromebooks if they are part of the instruction.

Most districts did not weigh in on whether fitness trackers are allowed. Some said they are permitted as long as they do not interfere with instruction, while officials from a few other districts said they would be covered under the ban.

Where will the phones go during the school day?

Districts typically have different rules depending on the students' grade level. 

They generally discourage or ban elementary schoolchildren from bringing their devices to school. While the state has called backpacks an "inadequate” storage option, many district policies said young students can leave their phones in backpacks that are stored in classroom cubbies or storage bins.

For middle and high schoolers, most districts said students should leave their devices in their lockers or have them locked in pouches.

 In some distri cts, middle schoolers are either banned from bringing phones or encouraged to leave their devices at home. Others asked students in all grades to not bring their devices.

Officials from districts that purchased pouches said the tool offered more flexibility for students, especially those who leave the campus during lunch. The pouches can be locked and unlocked by school staff or mounted unlocking devices as students come in and out of the building.

Beth Doyle, superintendent of Greenport schools, said using pouches is easier than having students travel to their lockers multiple times a day if they were to have the devices stored there.

“We also wanted to allow them to have their property on their person,” she said.

Several districts, including Sag Harbor and Roosevelt, have used the pouches in the past. Shawn Wightman, the Roosevelt superintendent, said the district’s middle school has used the pouches in the past three years and just purchased 1,500 more for the high school.

East Hampton purchased about 1,000 Yondr pouches for about $50,000, a decision schools Superintendent Adam Fine said was driven by student input. Fine said his administrators heard from high schoolers who acknowledged they needed help to keep the devices away.

“The pouches presented the easiest and the most effective and efficient way to comply with the ban,” he said.

Fine said the district is paying for the initial purchase of the pouches. His district has not determined who will pay for the replacement cost, but Fine said he anticipated they would be guided by whether the loss was accidental or if there was vandalism.

In districts such as Brentwood, parents must pay for a replacement or repair if a student loses or damages a pouch.

Are there any exceptions to the ban?

Yes. There are several carve-outs for educational, medical or family circumstances.

Students may keep their phones if they need them to manage a medical condition or if their individualized education plans require them to have access. English language learners may also use them if they are needed for translation.

Students who must care for a family member may qualify as well, but each situation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and determined by a school psychologist, social worker or counselor, districts’ policies said.

Students may also use the phone for academic reasons, such as when a teacher requests it for specific lessons. Schools also noted emergencies as another exception, though they didn’t specify what those emergencies would entail.

School officials said they anticipate some initial difficulties in managing exceptions without compromising student privacy.

In Levittown, for example, the district’s two high schools each have more than 1,000 students and staffers may not know every student or which of them have qualified exceptions. Winch, the superintendent, said there could be scenarios where an educator tries to confiscate a student’s phone during passing time in the hallway without knowing they are exempt.

“It's going to create a lot of different issues that we have to be very careful about in regard to exposing someone's confidential information to surrounding students,” he said.

How can I reach my child during the school day?

It depends on your district’s policy.

In most cases, parents can call, email or drop off a written note. Parents can also reach out through established channels like ParentSquare. For high schoolers with email addresses, they can email their child directly.

Fine said he has heard from parents who said they may get phones with no internet capabilities for their children so they can reach them during the school day.

Some districts also said they may establish a designated email, which staff will check periodically and relay the messages from parents. 

Could a student be disciplined for violating the cellphone ban?

Students cannot be suspended "solely" because they accessed their phone during the school day. Schools, however, could impose harsher discipline, including suspension, if the student violated other school rules such as insubordination, according to district policies. 

Many districts laid out escalating consequences for repeat offenses. For a first violation,  the student’s phone may be confiscated but they can retrieve it at the end of the day, according to district policies Newsday reviewed. For the second infraction, a parent may have to retrieve the device.

In Mount Sinai, its policy states further violations may lead to the device being held in the office daily for longer periods of time. 

The Port Jefferson district will impose harsher discipline. For a second violation, a student will be assigned a detention of 1½ hours the following school day, according to the district's implementation plan. And if a student has served two detentions, they may have to leave their phone at the school main office for at least one month.

Some policies said they may also assign the students to study the “detrimental impact of social media on mental health.”

Is there funding available for schools?

The state set aside $13.5 million and public schools statewide have received grants to help them implement the ban.

The Island's public schools, including school districts, charter schools and BOCES, received more than $2.3 million, according to data from the state Education Department. The allocation was based on enrollment in grades 7-12 in the 2023-24 school year, with each student accounting for $10.90.

Levittown received $37,000. Winch said his district will use the money to buy locks, lockers and safes to be used in the administrative office for phone confiscation.

For districts that purchased pouches, the state dollars often do not cover the total cost. In East Hampton, Fine said the district had included the cost in its budget.

Will we know how the ban was enforced?

Yes. Beginning in fall 2026, districts must publish an annual report detailing how the policy was enforced in the prior school year. This report should include non-identifiable demographic data of students who were disciplined. The report must also include an analysis of any demographic disparities in enforcement.

Students cannot be suspended "solely" because they accessed their phone during the school day. The information was incorrect in a previous version of this story.