NY state budget includes cellphone ban for students during school day
NY bans cellphones in public schools
As part of the newly passed state budget, Governor Kathy Hochul is implementing a statewide ban on student cellphone use during the entire school day, beginning this fall. FOX 5 NY’s Richard Giacovas reports.
NEW YORK - A new "bell to bell" cellphone ban will take effect this fall for all public school students across New York State. The measure is part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s newly announced $254 billion state budget and is intended to address growing concerns over youth mental health.
What we know:
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that starting in September, students in New York’s public schools will be prohibited from accessing their smartphones throughout the entire school day. The statewide policy will apply "bell to bell," meaning phones will not be allowed even in hallways or during lunch or recess periods.
While many schools already restrict phone use inside classrooms, officials say inconsistent enforcement has made the rules difficult to uphold. The new measure aims to eliminate confusion by implementing a uniform ban across all districts.
Gov. Hochul unveils $254B NY state budget
Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $254 billion state budget deal that includes major investments in public safety and transit, along with key changes to criminal justice and mental health policy. FOX 5 NY reports on how the new budget includes $77 million for NYPD subway patrols, increased payroll taxes on large employers to fund the MTA’s $68 billion capital plan, and a controversial new penalty for crimes committed while wearing a mask.
What they're saying:
Students at Forest Hills High School in Queens voiced mixed reactions to the plan.
"For emergencies, if something happens at home and you need to be contacted or if something happens in school... they need to contact somebody," one student told FOX 5 NY.
"I use it to help myself with assignments sometimes. If I’m not getting the material, I can look it up easily," another said.
"It shouldn’t be put on the teacher," said a parent. "Some teachers are just not going to be as strong with having the kids put all of the phones away all of the time."
What we don't know:
It remains unclear exactly how the cellphone ban will be enforced. Governor Hochul said schools will have flexibility in determining how to implement the policy, but no detailed plan has yet been released.
The backstory:
The cellphone ban was part of Hochul’s broader $254 billion state budget agreement, which she announced nearly a month after the original April 1 deadline. The new spending plan is $12 billion larger than last year’s budget.
Key provisions of the budget include:
- $77 million to allow NYPD officers to continue overnight subway patrols
- A new penalty for individuals who commit crimes while wearing masks
- One-time inflation relief checks
- A new law requiring governors and lieutenant governors to run on the same primary ticket
- A payroll tax increase for large NYC employers to fund the MTA’s $68 billion capital plan
To offset the impact, small businesses will receive a payroll tax cut.
What's next:
While Hochul touted the budget as a win, especially for including changes to discovery laws and involuntary commitment rules, the full text of the bill is still not available.
The proposed discovery changes would give judges more discretion in evidence sharing to prevent cases from being dismissed on technicalities. On involuntary commitment, the budget reportedly includes language allowing individuals to be hospitalized if they show signs they cannot care for themselves.
Lawmakers are expected to pass another budget extender to keep state operations running through Thursday. It remains unclear if they will vote on the finalized budget this week.