New York lawmakers have reached a deal to ban cell phones from “bell to bell” in all public schools statewide, Gov. 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.”
