SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — The South Huntington Board of Education updated its student cell phone use policy for schools to align with a new law enacted by New York state, the district announced.
The law was “designed to foster a more focused and distraction-free educational environment for students,” the district stated.
New York Education Law prohibits the use of internet-enabled devices during the school day on school grounds beginning with the 2025-26 school year. This includes all areas within the school boundary and applies to all times, including classes, lunch, recess, and passing periods.
At the Board of Education meeting held July 8, the board formally adopted Policy 5695 — Students and Personal Electronic Devices.
The following information provides an overview of the policy. Community members should note that additional procedures and protocols that are specific to each building will be shared by the building principals before the school year begins.
Devices are categorized into two types:
- Internet-Enabled Devices: This includes smartphones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and any other devices capable of internet connectivity and accessing online content, such as social media. Devices provided by the district for educational purposes are exempt from this category.
- Other Personal Electronic Devices: This includes devices that do not connect to the internet, such as traditional mobile phones (voice/text only), fitness trackers, headphones, e-readers, cameras, and music devices.
Device Storage
Students in elementary school (grades P-5) are discouraged from bringing devices to school. Any device that is brought to school must be silenced and kept in the student’s personal cubby.
Students in grades 6-12 will use their lockers for device storage. Devices must be silenced and stored throughout the school day unless an exception is granted.
Communication
Parents wishing to contact their children during the school day should do so through the main office. Students may also contact parents using phones located in the main office of the school. Additional locations which can be used, if available, will be shared by each school building. The district will provide a written notification of this protocol at the start of each school year.
Exceptions and Educational Use
Exceptions to this policy are available for specific purposes, such as managing a student’s healthcare, translation services, or care responsibilities for family members, upon administrative approval and with appropriate documentation. Additionally, internet-enabled devices may be used for educational purposes with teacher and administrative approval, provided they align with the District’s Technology Acceptable Use policy.
Enforcement and Consequences
The district’s building administration will proactively share the rules and procedures with students to make them aware of the expectations. Some adjustments will be made at the building level to ensure that students have the time necessary to comply with the new requirements. In the event that a student violates the policy, they will face incremental disciplinary actions, including device confiscation, for non-compliance, as outlined in the District Code of Conduct.
“These devices can create significant distractions, impact student mental health, and interfere with emergency protocols,” Superintendent Vito D’Elia said in a news release. “Therefore, we are committed to minimizing their impact during the school day.”
The district stated its goal is to “educate students on the benefits of a distraction-free environment and to support them in complying with the policy.”
The policy is available on the district’s website and can be translated into the most common non-English languages upon request. A summary will be included in student and family handbooks.
