GRAND ISLAND, NY (WKBW) — As the calendar turns to August, school districts across the state have to submit their new cell phone ban policies.
Earlier this year, the state passed the "Distraction-Free Schools Law," which implements a "bell-to-bell" ban on cell phones for K-12 students.
The initiative is designed to stop distractions and refocus student attention on classroom learning throughout the entire school day.
“Overall, a distraction-free classroom is really what we’re all seeking,” remarked Superintendent Brian Graham, Grand Island School District.
Graham tells me his school community worked together to create their new "bell-to-bell" smartphone policy that he calls "unique."
WATCH: Grand Island Schools ready with new cell phone ban policy
“When students report to homeroom at the beginning of the day, there's going to be a locking cabinet that's adhered to our classroom wall,” explained Graham.
Grand Island students will be required to place their devices inside a case, giving them a 'distraction-free' school day.
Graham also emphasized the importance of ensuring devices are powered off when stored.
“Of course, it should be powered down…there isn’t any additional distraction if somebody does inadvertently text a child during classroom time from outside the district,” Graham quipped.
At the end of the school day, students will return to their homerooms to retrieve their devices.
While the new policies focus heavily on eliminating distractions, some parents have voiced anxieties about safety, particularly regarding emergencies when a child might need their phone.
“The biggest, number one concern I’ve heard is the safety issue and if, God forbid, something were to happen, that their child doesn't have their cell phone in hand?” Buckley asked. “When we speak to law enforcement, we speak to our school resource officers or the Erie County Sheriff’s Department or the New York State Police – they believe that everybody should not be on their devices during a major incident in school,” Graham replied.
But the district is hiring clerks dedicated to ‘device management’ at the middle and high school levels. These staff members will assist students who arrive late or need to leave early, acting as communicators for parents.
“If a parent wants to pick up the phone and contact this clerk, that’s their only responsibility. They can get that message, get that message to the child – working with hall monitors or working with a system that makes sense,” explained Graham.
The new law is also designed to improve the mental health of students by limiting access to social media during school hours.
Niagara Falls High School student Khadeeja Tabbsam talked about how excessive social media use is harming a student’s mental well-being.
"Platforms like TikTok and Instagram – students are on them 24/7, even in class when they're not supposed to be," Tabbsam remarked. “Whether you like it or not, it does start impacting you in a bad way, because you're always comparing yourself with someone or something, and if you’re always doing that, it's not good, because you can't ever relax and just be yourself.
While the "Distraction-Free Schools Law" is set to transform the educational environment, the policy includes provisions that allow students to keep their phones for medical necessities.
