Fairport board discusses new state-mandated personal electronic device rules; district to gather community feedback before August second read

The Fairport Central School District Board of Education on Monday discussed a new state requirement that sharply limits student use of personal electronic devices during the school day and agreed to delay a final local policy until administrators gather community feedback.

Board members said the law effectively prohibits smartphone and similar personal internet-device use from the start to the end of the school day except for statutorily required exceptions such as documented medical needs or accommodations specified in an individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan. The board held a first reading of related policies and directed administration to solicit input from teachers, families, union representatives and students before a second reading in August.

The discussion matters because the state-level rule removes some local discretion about where and when devices can be used during the school day. Board members and administrators said Fairport already has local practices that reduce device use in classrooms, hallways and lunchrooms, but they emphasized the district must now align local practice with the statutory requirements while preserving individualized accommodations.

Superintendent Brett Provenzano and board members described key points the district will communicate while collecting feedback: the law allows exceptions for medical and disability accommodations; translator and communication apps used for instruction may be permitted; student-support teams and building principals will manage individualized requests; and disciplinary consequences for device use are limited by the statute (the law bars exclusionary punishments like suspensions for device possession or use in many contexts).

Board members asked for measurable data to evaluate the policy’s educational goals. One member said the enacted law focuses on prohibitions and reporting but does not require measures of educational or well-being outcomes; she asked administration to gather both compliance data (incidents recorded) and measures tied to student engagement and learning as implementation proceeds. Several board members said they plan to use ex officio student board members and building visits to collect student perspectives on how the rule affects classroom culture.

The board also discussed implementation details: processes for medical or IEP/504 accommodations will be filtered through the Committee on Special Education; staff will develop building-level procedures, restorative supports and a graduated response before any punitive step; and a district “thought-exchange” or survey will be deployed by July 1 to gather stakeholder input to inform advocacy with the state and local implementation choices.

The board’s policy committee recommended the district conduct outreach now, treat the first read as informational and bring a second reading for formal adoption in August to allow time for stakeholder engagement.

Board members emphasized they will continue advocating for local control at the state level while aligning district practice with the law.

The discussion did not itself adopt a final local policy; related policy readings and formal votes on the policy slate occur elsewhere on the agenda.