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Brentwood to implement state-mandated "bell-to-bell" ban on internet-connected personal devices starting Fall 2025
Summary
School officials said the district will update its policy to comply with Education Law 2803, launch stakeholder surveys next week, and publish summarized results to shape local implementation and exemptions, including for students with IEPs.
Brentwood Union Free School District officials told the Board of Education on June 12 that the district will adopt a "bell-to-bell" ban on students' personal electronic devices that connect to the Internet starting in fall 2025, in order to comply with Education Law 2803.
The move matters because it restricts students' access to cellphones, tablets and other internet-connected devices during the school day and requires the district to define storage, communication protocols with parents, allowable exemptions and discipline measures.
Dr. Leoni, a district administrator, read a prepared statement explaining the change and said, "students are not allowed to have access to their personal electronic devices next school year." The district will send surveys on Monday to parents, students in grades 4–12 and staff to gather input on device storage, how parents should contact children during the school day, allowable exemptions and handling of non-internet devices such as earbuds.
The policy will explicitly exempt students with individualized education programs (IEPs), district officials said during the meeting, and the district described a process for other potential exemptions tied to specific educational needs. A district staff member noted that "a student may not be suspended solely for not complying with this policy," and said the policy must still spell out disciplinary consequences that focus on teaching and restoring appropriate behavior rather than automatic suspension.
District officials said results of the surveys will be summarized and published and will inform an advisory board that will refine the policy for presentation to the board; the district emphasized the timeline is compressed because the policy must be in place by September 2025. The district also said it will use ParentSquare and district email to distribute the survey and that paper copies will be available on request.
Parents and community members asked how the policy will treat earbuds and assistive devices, how families will contact students in emergencies and whether accommodations already on IEPs need to be changed. The district replied that earbuds and devices that do not connect to the Internet will be considered separately, that district-issued devices for instruction remain permitted, and that no changes to an IEP are required for the IEP exemption but parents can request an IEP amendment if circumstances change.
The board asked the administration to audit communication systems so that all families receive survey invitations and other policy information. The district's director of technology and other staff are expected to participate in that work and in publishing survey results before the policy returns to the board for consideration.
The board did not take a formal vote on a finalized policy at the June 12 meeting; trustees framed the session as information gathering and directed staff to solicit stakeholder feedback and prepare the policy for board review ahead of September.
