Gov. Kathy Hochul student cell phone ban would require NY students to give up devices from 'bell to bell'

Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News on Jan 21, 2025

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NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed school cellphone restrictions would require students to be separated from their devices from “bell to bell,” her office said Tuesday — meaning teens could lose access to their phones during lunch or free periods.

To back those efforts, Hochul wants to allocate $13.5 million in New York’s state budget, she’s expected to announce this afternoon. School districts would submit plans to limit the use of phones during school hours, then get reimbursed by the state.

The governor has been advocating for some version of a ban since last spring amid growing concern over the mental health of young people. Restrictions could be in place as soon as next school year.

It was not immediately clear how much of the overall funding pot individual school districts could receive. Any plan is subject to negotiations with state lawmakers before the state budget is finalized in April.

New York City public schools under former Chancellor David Banks had attempted to put a cellphone ban in place by this school year. But logistical challenges appeared to slow down the rollout, including how the city would pay for such a mandate — which could require schools buy locked phone pouches, cover the costs of broken devices, or other costly measures.

Mayor Eric Adams ultimately put the kibosh on those plans for this school year.

Hochul’s broader state budget plan was expected to be unveiled Tuesday afternoon.

As part of it, the governor will propose a $37.4-billion school aid package, including changes to the outdated Foundation Aid formula that would tweak how it sends funding to school districts based on student poverty and economic disadvantage.

Currently, that formula uses a metric for poverty based on the 2000 census.

Last budget cycle, the governor tried to take those changes a step further, proposing to end a provision in the state law that guarantees school districts receive at least the same level of per-pupil funding as they did the year before, even if they enroll fewer students.

Hochul announced at the end of last year that she would not continue to pursue those changes, as confirmed in her plans Tuesday.