Manhasset teams plan enforcement and outreach for NY cellphone ban; recommendations include lockers, detention

Shared decision-making teams across the Manhasset Union Free School District presented recommendations to align school practice with the New York proposal that would ban internet-enabled personal devices during the school day. Doctor Rotter (secondary school leader) told the board the teams began work this year and, pending final state regulations, recommend students store smartphones, smartwatches, tablets and AirPods in lockers from bell to bell.

Doctor Rotter said the teams surveyed teachers (about 110 responses) and trialed ‘‘phone caddies’’ with generally positive results. ‘‘All internet-enabled personal devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, personal laptops, and AirPods will be in students' lockers upon arrival at school,’’ Doctor Rotter said. ‘‘These devices would remain in the location determined… from bell to bell.’’ He noted exceptions for students who require devices for medical reasons or special-education accommodations and said parents can contact students during the day through dedicated middle- and high-school phone lines.

For enforcement, the secondary-school team recommended that first violations result in confiscation and an after-school detention on the next school day, with the administrator collecting the device in the morning and returning it after detention at 4:15 p.m. Doctor Rotter said Gov. Hochul’s guidance explicitly rules out suspension as a consequence for phone violations. He emphasized the recommendation is not final policy: ‘‘This is where we landed in terms of a recommendation. Doesn't mean it's final for sure,’’ he said.

Elementary and middle-school leaders described building-level approaches and student-driven initiatives. Doctor Chad Altman (Muncie Park) and Principal Zimmer (Shelter Rock School) said their teams prioritized student voice and transition supports while working through device logistics. Muncie Park student council leader Michael Halkias helped negotiate food-service changes this year and was cited as an example of student-led problem solving; elementary leaders described using backpacks as locker substitutes and ‘‘school time mode’’ for smartwatches as interim measures.

Staff and board members flagged practical challenges for rollout: locker access, supervision demands, parents’ need to reach students and the personnel required for enforcement. Doctor Rotter said the district will draft communications early and staff has materials ‘‘drafted already’’ with a target to notify families by Aug. 1. He warned that the first weeks will be a ‘‘heavy lift’’ and urged ‘‘strong partnerships with our families, our students, our staff.’’

The proposals were presented for discussion; the board did not adopt a final, districtwide rule at the meeting. Building leaders will return with finalized administrative rules and suggested communications for board review.