Oceanside board reviews new state-backed student device policy, opts for locker storage for middle and high schools

The Oceanside Union Free School District Board of Education on June 11 reviewed a new state-mandated policy that restricts student use of personal electronic devices during the school day and decided that, locally, middle and high school students will store devices in school lockers while elementary students will use cubbies.

Board members and administrators said the new policy, based on state legislation and a model policy from the New York State school boards association, aims to reduce distractions and address student well-being while preserving local discretion on implementation details.

Superintendent Dr. Harrington told the board the legislation requires a storage solution but leaves the specific storage method to districts. "The state requirement is that it need to be in a storage facility of some sort. It becomes the local control as to how to identify what that means," she said. The board decided lockers will be the primary storage location at the middle and high school levels and cubbies at the elementary level.

Board members pressed administrators on enforcement, exceptions and data reporting. Dr. Harrington said enforcement will be handled primarily by building administrators — principals and their assistants — supported by deans and hall monitors who may take a device and turn it over to an administrator. "They would attempt to say to the student that they're violating the policy," she said, and the device would then be passed to an administrator who would contact the parent.

The district will follow explicit limits in the law: students cannot be suspended solely for violating the device policy. "We are not able to suspend any student for a violation of the actual cell phone policy," Dr. Harrington said. The law also requires the district to collect and publish data about infractions by demographic group for the 2025–26 school year; the board discussed the requirement to report any statistically significant disparate enforcement but noted the legislation does not define "statistically significant." Dr. Harrington said the district will gather the required demographic data and publish a report by September 2026.

Administrators and trustees discussed exceptions written into the law and the district policy: students with individualized education programs (IEPs) or 504 plans and those with documented medical needs may be authorized to carry or use a device, but usage must be specifically outlined in the IEP or medical directive and reviewed by building administration. Dr. Harrington cited medical examples such as diabetes and severe anxiety where a physician might recommend access.

Student government representatives raised concerns about the transition, especially for upperclassmen used to carrying phones. Dennis Yoshvayev, the student representative to the board, told trustees that many students see the change as a dramatic shift and urged robust education and supports. Board members and administrators said they will provide education to students and families before the policy takes effect and will monitor implementation closely.

Trustees clarified that the law does not cover off-campus time: students are allowed to use devices once they leave school grounds. The board also noted field trips and some extracurricular situations were not specifically addressed in the legislation and would be handled locally.

The board did not record a formal vote on the policy at the June 11 meeting; the session served as a policy reading and discussion and to set implementation expectations for the coming school year.

The district plans information sessions and student outreach before the policy takes effect in the 2025–26 school year and will begin collecting the demographic infraction data required by the law during that year.