Investment for 'bell-to-bell' smartphone ban included in 2026 state budget
Gov. Kathy Hochul said she's investing $13.5 million of her 2026 state budget to help schools operationalize a ban on smartphones and other internet-enabled devices.
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Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she wants to make New York "the largest state in the nation with a bell-to-bell ban" on cellphones in schools.
She said she's investing $13.5 million of her 2026 state budget to help schools operationalize a ban on smartphones and other internet-enabled devices.
The ban would apply during the school day, and would take effect this upcoming school year.
Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Anibal Soler, Jr. said he's in favor of the policy.
"We understand the rationale. We support it. We know that are kids need to be less distracted in schools," Soler, Jr. said.
RELATED: New York lawmakers agree on plan for 'bell-to-bell' school cellphone ban
Although the school system already has an electronic device policy in place, Soler, Jr. said they'll have to do some work to update it to meet the requirements of the ban.
However, as changes are made, he said he wants to make one thing clear to his learning community.
"We're not taking them away from kids. This will be around making sure they're put away. So, do we go with pouches? Do we create some other mechanism to do that?" Soler, Jr. said.
News 12 spoke to people in Getty Square about their thoughts toward the statewide school policy.
"I don't think it's fair because I'm a single mother with two children and I need to know where my children is [sic] at all times," one woman said.
A parent named Shantasia Smiley said, "You don't need to be on TikTok while you're in school."
Resident Christopher Wilbur recalled his own experience in school.
"Back in the day, I didn't have no [sic] phones, whatsoever, to use," Wilbur said.
Soler, Jr. added that his district is still waiting to learn more about the policy.
He said it's also unclear how much of an investment districts like his are getting to implement the policy, locally.
"I know this was so important for the governor that she allocated some dollars, so for Yonkers, it's going to require an investment. We hope that translates to some dollars behind it on a yearly basis because this is something we're not just doing for one year," Soler, Jr. said.
Voting for the agreed-upon budget is expected to begin soon.
