Williamsville committee proposes full school‑day ban on personal internet devices; 30‑day public comment set

The Williamsville Central School District presented a proposed "distraction‑free school zones" policy that would prohibit student use of personal internet‑enabled devices during the full school day, require storage procedures for different grade spans and set a timeline for public comment and implementation. Principal Andrew Bowen, who chaired the district committee that drafted the proposal, said the committee’s recommendation is a response to concerns about phones’ effects on attention and student mental health and to requirements from state executive guidance.

The proposal calls for a full school‑day ban, "bell to bell," on personal internet‑enabled devices and associated headphones or headsets unless use is explicitly authorized by a teacher for a specific educational purpose. Bowen told the board that elementary students who bring devices would be required to keep them turned off in backpacks; middle and high school students would be expected to store devices in lockers and keep them locked for the day. "Our students said, ‘if it's on me, if it's in my book bag, if it's in my pocket, I'm going to use it,'" Bowen said, and the committee used that feedback to recommend lockers for older students.

The committee included…