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Interim superintendent outlines Patchogue-Medford plan to implement New York's device ban
Summary
Patchogue-Medford staff described how the district will implement New York's new ban on internet-connected devices for the school day, detailing Yondr pouch use at the high school, exemptions for medical needs, $39,000 in state implementation funds, reporting deadlines and progressive discipline steps.
Interim Superintendent Lori told a packed community meeting that the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District has adopted a policy to comply with a New York State law requiring schools to prohibit use of internet-connected devices during the school day.
"With this year's state budget, Governor Hochul did pass a law that requires all of New York state to have a policy in place by August 1 that prohibits the use of electronic devices that connect to the Internet for the 2025-26 school year," Lori said, emphasizing the rule is a state mandate rather than a district initiative.
District staff framed the change as an effort to reduce classroom distractions and improve students'social interaction and mental health. Carolyn Walsh, a district psychologist, summarized studies she reviewed and said jurisdictions that implemented consistent device bans saw gains in classroom engagement, attendance and reductions in bullying and discipline incidents. "The research...shows increased achievement, decrease in bullying, decrease of needing of emergency counseling support," Walsh said.
Implementation will vary by building. At the elementary level, Lori said students will silence devices and place them in cubbies or classroom storage; middle-school students will be expected to silence devices and store them in lockers or backpacks destined for lockers. At the high school, the district will distribute Yondr pouches that lock for the day: "The phones actually go right into the Yondr pouch. It closes, and then the kids can keep it on them all day long," Lori said. The district plans unlocking stations at exits and handheld unlocking devices for staff in emergencies.
Lori said the state provided limited funds for rollout and that Patchogue-Medford received "a little over $39,000" to purchase storage solutions. The district submitted its policy to the state portal and met the August 1 deadline; the law also requires annual enforcement data reporting, with the first report due Sept. 1, 2026, to document infractions and demographic distributions of enforcement.
On discipline, Lori described a progressive sequence: first offenses will result in a phone being taken and returned at the end of the day; second and third offenses will require a parent or emergency contact to retrieve the device; a fourth offense may lead to detention; and a fifth offense by the same student could result in an in-school suspension.
John Ahern, the district's director of security, separately outlined facility upgrades that the district said complement the device policy, including a new visitor-management check-in with ID scanning, lockdown systems linked to 911, new classroom phone and PA capability and expanded surveillance. Ahern said the district has "probably around 850 cameras district wide" and monitors those feeds from a manned command center.
During a community Q&A, parents raised operational questions. A parent who identified herself as Carrie asked whether families can email high-school students; the district's director of technology said students in grades 9'12 can receive messages from outside addresses and urged parents to contact him directly for delivery issues. Another parent asked whether the superintendent could enforce the ban at off-site events; Lori said the policy gives discretion but that the district does not intend broad off-site enforcement unless safety concerns warrant it.
Lori closed by pointing to an online parent resource page with a Q&A, translation options and a QR code for submitting follow-up questions, and invited families to preview Yondr pouches before school starts. The district said packaged pouches will be distributed at ninth-grade orientation and will remain the student's device storage for four years.
The district did not report a formal vote or board roll call at the meeting; Lori said the policy was submitted to meet the state deadline and that the district will post annual enforcement data to the community as required.
