Governor Kathy Hochul met with state school officials to discuss new regulations for the 2025-2026 school year.
UTICA, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul met with state school officials to discuss new cellphone regulations for the 2025-2026 school year.
Gov. Hochul has had a long-standing goal of helping remove distractions from schools, signing legislation in May.
The legislation lays out new regulations to be put in place this fall, restricting cell phone access in schools state-wide.
“This is not about banning technology or banning connection, this is really more about restoring the human connection that has been lost over the last decade or so that has increased since phones have increasingly gotten into our students hands,” said Melinda Person, president of New York State United Teachers.
While the regulations are universal state wide, the legislation allows for school districts to decide how they will be enforced.
Many local schools have already laid out their plans for how to implement the new regulations.
Utica Central School District said they will students in kindergarten through sixth grade will turn in any devices to teachers when they get to class, while grades seventh through twelfth will turn in their phones upon arrival.
New Hartford Central School District on the other hand, sent an email to parents asking for their participation and feedback into how the decision will be made.
The district plans to encourage students to keep their phones in their lockers, but is still in deliberation.
The legislation passed by Gov. Hochul provides $13.5 million state-wide to help purchase storage solutions.
More than 150 schools state wide have already finalized their plans to enforce these regulations during the upcoming school year.
Governor Kathy Hochul met with state school officials to discuss new regulations for the 2025-2026 school year.
