NYC Public Schools announce cellphone ban for upcoming school year. Here's what to know.
New York City Public Schools are enacting a cellphone ban, as part of a new statewide law to eliminate distractions in the classroom.
When students return to class for the 2025-2026 academic year, they will no longer be able to use personal internet-enabled devices, like smartphones, smartwatches and tablets, during the school day.
Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos announced the updated policy Wednesday.
"We know that excessive cell phone use is harmful to our children's concentration and mental health, and, with this new policy, we will finally reduce distractions as we help our students reach their full potential," Adams .
"This policy is designed to be responsive to the diverse needs of schools, individual students, and families, and I am grateful to all of our partners for their hard work in moving this policy forward," said Aviles-Ramos.
How will the NYC school cellphone ban work?
Students will be allowed to use their devices when traveling to and from school, but they must be turned off and put away while learning. There are exceptions for those who need devices for medical reasons.
Schools will be required to provide at least one way for families to reach their kids in the case of an emergency and provide a secure way to store phones.
The mayor said he allocated $25 million to help with the implementation at the 1,600 public schools across the five boroughs.
Earlier this year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul set aside $254 billion in the state budget for the "bell-to-bell" statewide ban. The law allows individual schools to come up with their own ways to store devices, such as leaving them in pouches, lockers or cubbies.
