NY districts are banning cellphones: What it looks like in these schools

Wellsville school superintendent Dave Foster said he noticed the difference immediately.

The start of the academic year this month coincided with a significant change for sixth- through 12th-grade students in Allegany County’s largest public school district: they are no longer permitted to have cellphones or any texting capable smart devices during the school day.

While the 2023-24 school year remains in its infancy, Foster sensed a new vibe right away in the building.

“Seeing students' faces rather than looking down at a phone was so refreshing,” he said. “I was observing a group of students a few days ago. In the past, groups of two or three students would converse, and the remainder were on phones. This study hall was alive with conversations at a level I hadn’t seen in many years.”

Wellsville is one of at least three school districts in Allegany County — Andover and Whitesville are the others —which no longer permit students to have cellphones or smart devices that can send or receive text messages with them for the duration of the school day.

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Another Allegany County school district — Bolivar-Richburg — implemented the same type of restrictions ahead of the 2022-23 academic year.

Why more school districts are curbing cellphone use among students

Cellphone policy choices are decisions that the New York state Department of Education leaves up to local districts, although studies show nearly all U.S. public schools have student cellphone policies on the books, and most at least restrict phone use during class periods.

“I have not had any formal conversations with other districts about their cellphone policy in particular but I would suggest that it is a little bit of a trend for districts now to be going to a more strict policy," said Chuck Leichner, interim superintendent of Bolivar-Richburg Central School.

While there are some minor wording differences among the Allegany County districts’ new protocols, the bottom line is essentially the same: students who bring cellphones to school buildings are required to keep the devices turned off and in their lockers from the opening bell until afternoon dismissal.

Separately, the districts said the new policies are an effort to prioritize the safety and well-being of students and staff, while promoting the best learning environment possible for students.

"Beyond that, cellphone use can fan the flames of any tensions that may exist between students," Leichner said. "Texting can be ongoing; it can happen all day long and that kind of interaction is impossible to control when kids are carrying cell phones with them."

Andover administrators said in a message to parents the ban on student cellphones demonstrates the district’s “commitment to a higher level of learning and engagement for all students.”

Anticipating questions about why students are not permitted to have their cellphones during lunch, Andover officials said, “We reviewed disciplinary situations and experiences over the last couple of years and found that during unstructured time during lunch, students were sending unwanted pictures, snaps, and videos, and cyber bullying was occurring.”

Students 'adapting' to new cellphone policies

Wellsville’s new policy was added to the school Code of Conduct after committees of parents, faculty, students and administrators considered the issue and reached out to districts that have gone in the same direction, district officials said.

“We also surveyed the most recent research regarding children and cellphone usage,” Foster said. “The advice of the different districts and analysis were helpful in how we implemented the policy.”

Like Wellsville, Whitesville updated its Code of Conduct to deal with cellphones in classrooms.

Whitesville Superintendent Tammy Emery said there is district-wide support for the change and students appear to be adapting.

“I know it is only the first (weeks) of the school year, but for the most part, students truly appear to be happy, engaged and supportive of this change too,” Emery said.

Leichner was appointed interim school chief on July 1 and was not involved in developing Bolivar-Richburg's cellphone policy or in an administrative role during its first year in place. He's there now, though, and said, "It has worked very well for us."

Exceptions for students using phones for medical reasons

Districts with the new policies say they have addressed concerns from parents about contacting their children during the school day in the event of an emergency or other unanticipated family occurrences.

"We have a network of phones in each classroom and in every office," Andover school officials said. "In the event of a building crisis such as an active shooter, the school (has a) Safety Plan to connect with our community. Also, security and emergency officials have underlined the importance of following existing safety protocols that include keeping phone lines open and accessible."

And the school districts say students who utilize cellphone devices for medical reasons or as part of their Individual Education Plan (IEP) are being accommodated.

"If those devices are necessary for the well-being of a student, that would be built into that specific plan and wouldn't be part of the policy," Leichner said.

Foster said Wellsville's school physician "helped craft accommodations for students using phone apps to control insulin pumps, glucometers, and other medical concerns, and has and will actively work with other student pediatricians."

How will districts measure the effectiveness of the new measures? Foster suggested what Wellsville will be assessing.

"The most objective measure would be the overall effect on the volume of disciplinary incidents," he said. "After some time passes, student surveys on how they believe their social-emotional health was impacted would be data we would be interested in."

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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Allegany County districts crack down on cellphone use: What it means