West Seneca outlines implementation plan for New York 'distraction‑free learning' law; devices to be 'off and away'

West Seneca Central School District Superintendent Lisa Krueger told the Board of Education at the reorganizational meeting that the district is preparing a policy to meet New York State’s requirement for a “distraction‑free learning environment” and must have that policy in place by Aug. 1.

Krueger said the district’s stakeholder group — which included teachers, administrators, staff and student groups from West Senior and East Senior — recommended that personal electronic devices be “off and away for the day” at the elementary, middle- and high‑school levels, with an emphasis that elementary families be encouraged not to bring devices at all.

The proposal would make no change to current practice in middle schools, where students already store phones in locked lockers; at high schools the district plans to extend the “off and away for the day” practice. Krueger said the group considered lockable pouches but rejected them as an avoidable expense and will instead encourage the use of assigned lockers and low‑cost office storage when necessary.

Krueger described a progressive discipline model the district plans to include in the code of conduct: a verbal warning and phone call home for a first offense; a detention and phone call home for a second; two detentions and a parent pick‑up of the device for a third; storage of the device in the main office daily for 10 weeks after a fourth offense; and storage for the remainder of the school year after a fifth offense. She said the district will make accommodations for families that cannot come to the school in person.

Krueger also emphasized a legal limit spelled out in state law: “Students cannot be suspended from school solely for the use of their cell phone,” she said. She added that if a student refuses an adult’s direct order to power down and put the device away, that refusal may be treated as insubordination and could lead to suspension under the school’s discipline rules.

To protect student privacy when staff hold a device, Krueger said the district will place the phone in a sealed envelope signed across the seal by the student; staff will not attempt to access passcode‑protected content. She noted that lockable pouches cost about $25–$35 and the district prefers the lower‑cost envelope approach at the start, with a planned reassessment if the envelope system proves inadequate.

Code‑of‑conduct revisions required to align with the law have been posted for public comment; Krueger said the district must keep the draft available for 30 days before adoption. She said the district will notify families through principal communications, a calendar insert, website postings and email; an email was already sent and another was scheduled for July 2 at 4:30 p.m.

Krueger said the district will delay a formal evaluation of how implementation is going until 6–8 weeks into the school year and has set a status check for Oct. 28 to hear stakeholder feedback and consider any needed adjustments.

Board members asked clarifying questions about locker use, how devices would be labeled and stored in the office, and how the district would handle students who repeatedly violate the rule. Krueger said principals will explain storage procedures during orientations and that the district will work with families on individual needs.

The board did not vote on the policy at the meeting; Krueger presented the plan and noted the next procedural steps of the public comment period and subsequent board consideration for adoption.