In 2025-26, New York's K-12 classrooms will see a phone ban impacting 2 million students and 200,000 teachers. Governor Kathy Hochul enacted the Distraction Free Schools Initiative, mandating districts to create plans for a bell-to-bell exclusion policy. Schools will receive $13.5 million in funding for the necessary infrastructure. Advocates, including digital natives and teens, aim to ensure compliance with the ban. A new Teen Tech Council will empower students to engage with policymakers, encouraging their active role in this initiative.
Governor Hochul's Distraction Free Schools Initiative mandates that 2 million students and 200,000 teachers in New York's K-12 classrooms will no longer carry smartphones.
The law requires districts to create personalized plans ending unsanctioned smartphone use, with plans due to the governor by August 1.
A $13.5 million budget is allocated for the infrastructure necessary to support screen-free initiatives in schools.
New York will establish a Teen Tech Council to involve students directly in advocacy, ensuring adherence to the phone ban and giving them a voice.
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