Arlington board hears detailed plan to implement New Yorkstate"bell-to-bell" ban on internet-enabled devices

Arlington Central School District administrators told the board on a lengthy agenda item that they are preparing procedures to implement a New York state law that will prohibit students from using internet-enabled devices "bell to bell" when school resumes in September. The district must submit its plan to the state by Aug. 1.

The district convened a committee of administrators, teachers, parents and students to draft procedures after the state budget included the device restriction. "This is a New York state law. It is going into effect in September, and we, as a district, have to submit our plan to the state by August 1," said John Murphy, the administrator leading the districtdevice-policy effort. Murphy said the law covers cellphones, smartwatches, tablets and gaming devices but allows exceptions for students with IEPs or 504 plans and for true emergencies.

Why it matters: The change alters a long-standing local approach that previously allowed varying phone use by zone or time of day. Administrators said the shift will be most disruptive at the high school, where some practices and staff routines will change, and that the district is aiming for a graduated,…