NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — With one week until the start of the new school year, school districts are making their final preparations for New York's statewide phone ban. Students will no longer be allowed to keep their phones with them throughout the school day.
Governor Hochul visited Niagara Falls High School on Monday for a discussion about the cell phone ban and the importance of distraction-free learning.
"And the transition's tough, it's tough, but I'm telling parents, get ready for this," said Hochul.
Governor Hochul promised that the phone ban would reduce classroom distractions and improve learning outcomes.
"What you're going to witness and experience is something that's extraordinary," said Hochul.
WATCH: 'Get ready for this': Bell-to-bell ban on cell phones to start in schools statewide
District reports success with phone bans
The roundtable was hosted by Niagara Falls City School Superintendent Mark Laurrie, who described cell phone use as "a war on dopamine."
"The dopamine hits that our students are getting and not even realizing what's taking them away from the purpose of why we are here," Laurrie said.
Lackawanna City School Superintendent Nadia Nashir joined the conversation. Her district implemented its own bell-to-bell ban last school year and considers it a success.
"What we learned, to my surprise, is that our students appreciated the time to disconnect from their phones, the distractions, the notifications," Nashir commented.
She said that parents still have access to their children through the Remind app, the main office and email.
"We have decreased discipline. We increased engagement," Nashir said. "And our parents, I really do believe they trust more."
Safety concerns addressed
Addressing concerns, Hochul emphasized that during emergencies, students should focus on their trained teachers.
"The most important thing for that student to do if there's a shooter in the classroom or the hallways, pay attention to the highly trained teacher who's gone through constant drills," Hochul said. "They know how to handle this."
Students embrace connection
Niagara Falls High School senior Harjyot Kaur hopes the ban will help students socially and in the classroom.
"It's odd to me that I can't go up to anybody and say 'hey, hello, how are you doing' because they're so obsessed with their phones," she said. "I'll be able to make friends, I'll be able to connect face to face rather than text."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
