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District outlines plan to implement New York State smartphone ban, schedules June 11 parent forum
Summary
District administrators told the board they will require students to power down and stow internet-enabled devices during the instructional day to comply with a new New York State law, and scheduled a June 11 parent forum and a 2026 public reporting requirement for discipline data.
Marcellus Central School District administrators told the board on June 2 that the district is developing an implementation plan to comply with a new New York State law prohibiting students from using internet-enabled devices during the instructional day.
The administrator leading the presentation said the districts plan under consideration would require students to power down cell phones at the start of the day and keep them in backpacks; the restriction would include internet-enabled watches and similar devices. The administrator said the district expects to finalize details after an administrative meeting and input from a parent forum set for 7 p.m. on June 11 in the high school auditorium. "This is not the district. This is a New York State law, and we're just following that," the speaker said.
The district will notify families in August about how to contact students during the day and will publish required discipline data relating to the law beginning in September 2026, the administrator said. The presenter acknowledged the policy creates implementation challenges and said the administration is considering requiring a parent to retrieve a phone if a student violates the rule.
Board members asked about forum access and exceptions. The administrator said the forum will be recorded and posted on the district website for those who cannot attend, and that medical exceptions such as devices used for diabetic monitoring are included in the state law and will be explicitly handled in district policy. The administration also plans a question-and-answer document summarizing parent questions and district responses.
The administration said it has already circulated a brief stakeholder survey to parents and staff and reported broad support from respondents, though some expressed concern. The forum and the follow-up materials are intended to gather additional feedback to shape the board policy the administration will present later.
