What the New Cell Phone Ban Means for Students at Eldred and Sullivan West

As students gear up to return to school, they will face a new reality: smartphones, smart watches, and earbuds will be banned throughout the school day, except for specific educational, medical, or safety needs. The statewide restriction aims to reduce distractions and improve focus, but it has sparked conversations among students, parents, teachers, and administrators alike.

Liam Mayo, news editor of The River Reporter, discussed how these new rules are being implemented locally at Eldred Central School District and Sullivan West Central School District and what impact they might have.

Enforcing the Bell-to-Bell Ban
At Eldred Central, the policy varies by grade level:

Elementary: Students are discouraged from bringing internet-enabled devices. If brought, devices must be silenced and stored in the school office.

Middle School: Devices must be silenced and stored in homeroom device caddies.

High School: Devices are silenced and kept in designated centralized holders.

Sullivan West’s approach is similar but tailored:

Pre-K to 4: Internet-enabled devices are not allowed.

Grades 5-6: Students must turn phones into their homeroom teachers.

Secondary students: Responsible for storing phones in school-issued blockers.

Mayo explained, “There are some exceptions being made for medical, educational, or safety needs. These are managed through conversations between parents and school administration on a case-by-case basis, often involving individualized education programs (IEPs).”

Local Perspectives on the Shift
Both Eldred Central and Sullivan West anticipate a cultural shift with this policy change. Superintendent Tracy Ferreira of Eldred Central said, “This will be a cultural shift for students, staff, and families at the junior-senior high school.”

Similarly, Sullivan West Superintendent Catherine Bressler noted that while some restrictions already existed, “Expanding it to the full day will be different because phones were part of how students communicated with parents or worked with teachers within set educational limits.”

To prepare the community, both districts held multiple meetings over the summer to listen to concerns and inform families. Mayo shared, “We heard that both districts reached out to students as well, to gauge their thoughts on the new rules.”

State Support and Safety Concerns
Governor Kathy Hochul has emphasized the goal behind the ban, stating, “We want freedom for kids and parents,” highlighting that the policy includes provisions for exceptions. The state is providing approximately $13.5 million in funds to help schools purchase device storage solutions and develop enforcement plans.

Sullivan West received $5,210 specifically for purchasing storage units for main offices and classrooms.

Addressing safety concerns, Mayo relayed Hochul’s reasoning: “It’s actually safer for students not to have their cell phones in an emergency because the last thing you want your child to be doing is pulling out their phone rather than focusing on their teacher or security personnel trained to keep them safe.”

Transition and Community Reaction
Sullivan West had some existing cell phone policies, potentially easing the transition. Superintendent Bressler acknowledged, “There were already areas where students could not use devices, so this expands those restrictions.”

However, Mayo noted, “The statewide mandate overrides any local discretion schools had, requiring a stricter, uniform policy.”

One notable perspective came from the president of the New York State United Teachers Association, who observed that students in schools adopting the ban early are passing notes instead of using phones. Mayo commented, “While social media on phones can harm mental health, passing notes or whispering has long been part of school life. This highlights the broader issue of student discipline beyond just cell phones.”

More coverage at The River Reporter .

Image by freepik