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State budget requires 'bell‑to‑bell' device ban; West Seneca to revise code of conduct
Summary
A provision tied to the New York state budget bans student use of personal communication devices during instructional hours. West Seneca Superintendent Dr. Krueger said the district will revise its code of conduct to reflect a bell‑to‑bell prohibition and notify families ahead of the next school year.
A New York state budget provision that prohibits student use of personal communication devices during the instructional day will require West Seneca Central School District to update its code of conduct, the superintendent said at the May 6 board meeting.
“Bell to bell distraction‑free learning environment has been passed through the passing of our state budget,” Dr. Krueger said. He said the district will revise the code of conduct to implement a prohibition on cell phones and smart watches from the start to the end of the instructional day and will bring those revisions to the board for review and adoption.
Dr. Krueger said district staff were waiting for final state budget outcomes before drafting code revisions. He also said Dr. Loughran, who oversees code of conduct revisions, and the leadership team are preparing language and communications for families and students about the change. The district will publicize the updated rules and incorporate them into the 2025–26 school‑year practices.
Board members and other speakers at the meeting expressed disappointment that the change was included in the state budget rather than decided locally. The board noted local superintendents' associations had advocated for local control on such policies. Some board members said they support the intent to reduce distractions but regretted losing district discretion about limited device use during noninstructional times.
The district will present the revised code of conduct to the board for adoption and will notify families and staff before the start of the next school year.
