East Ramapo outlines implementation of New York ban on student personal devices during school day

A staff member of the East Ramapo Central School District announced that, following a New York state prohibition taking effect this fall, students will be barred from using personal cellphones and other internet‑connected devices on school property from the start of the school day until it ends. “Desde el inicio de la jornada escolar hasta su finalización, los estudiantes no podrán usar teléfonos celulares personales ni otros dispositivos con conexión a Internet mientras estén en la propiedad escolar,” the staff member said.

The district said the restriction applies during class time, lunch, recess, free periods, study hours and passing between classes, and that students may use only devices provided by the school “únicamente con fines educativos.” The staff member also said any personal device brought to school must remain silent and be stored in a backpack, locker or a secure storage area provided by the school.

The announcement clarified how parents and emergencies will be handled: students may communicate with parents in case of an emergency, and parents may call the school’s main office to reach their child in urgent situations. The staff member directed listeners to the district website for updates and the full policy text.

This message was presented as an administrative notice of implementation and not as a legislative vote or board action; the transcript records the district staff explaining how it will apply the state rule locally. No formal motion or vote was recorded in the provided transcript segments.

Key implementation details from the announcement include the covered times (start to end of the school day), the list of on‑campus circumstances when devices are prohibited (classes, lunch, recess, free periods, study hours, passing between classes), storage requirements for personal devices (backpack, locker, or district secure storage), the limited allowance for school‑issued devices for instructional use, and the emergency‑contact procedures for families. The district did not specify disciplinary consequences, an exact start date beyond “this fall,” or technical details about secure storage; those items were referred to the full policy on the district website.

Parents and community members seeking more information were directed to consult the East Ramapo Central School District website for the complete policy and any future updates.