Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Albany board prepares for statewide ban on student device use as governor proposes storage funding
Summary
Board members and district staff discussed potential schoolwide restrictions on cell phones after the governor included 'bell-to-bell' language in the executive budget; district task force is weighing implementation, equity, staffing and cost issues while awaiting final state guidance.
The Albany City School District Board of Education spent much of its meeting discussing a proposed statewide restriction on student cellphone and other internet-enabled device use after the governor included language in the executive budget requiring schools to limit device use during the school day.
District Superintendent Ron Hockrider told trustees the governor's proposal calls for "bell-to-bell" restrictions and that the committee formed by the district is recommending restricting device use during the school day, including lunch and study halls, with limited exceptions. Hockrider said a state budget decision expected in April will determine what obligations districts must meet.
Why it matters: The district's student population and building-by-building differences make implementation complex. Trustees repeatedly raised concerns about equity, discipline and extra workload for office and security staff, and how families would communicate with…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
