Pelham district outlines "bell-to-bell" ban and locker-first plan for internet-enabled devices

Pelham Memorial High School Principal Sean Llewellyn told the Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on June 11 that the district must implement a "bell-to-bell" ban on smartphones and other internet-enabled devices under a state law enacted this spring and outlined how the district plans to comply.

Llewellyn said the law requires public school districts to prohibit student use of internet-enabled devices across all school property during the entire school day, while allowing local discretion on storage methods and limited exemptions for individual needs. "This is a bell to bell ban on smartphones and Internet enabled devices, and that's a phrase that I'm gonna use," he said.

The presentation summarized a year-long committee process that included students, teachers, parents and administrators, and incorporated surveys of each group. Key findings Llewellyn shared: about 40% of students reported they used phones less this year; roughly 84% of surveyed students said they personally were not distracted by phones in class; and 73% of teachers said this year's policy had a positive classroom impact. The parent survey (173 respondents) showed wide variation in views on whether students should be allowed phone access during the school day.

Why it matters: the governor's announcement and the resulting state law require districts to post their implementation plans by Aug. 1 and include annual reporting to ensure enforcement does not fall disproportionately by demographic group. The law also earmarks state funding for storage solutions,…