Students and Personal Electronic Devices Policy and procedures

What Families Need to Know

New York State requires a statewide, bell-to-bell restriction on personal internet devices in schools known as the New York State Distraction-Free Schools Law. This means that starting Sept. 2, 2025, F-M will implement a “bell-to-bell” ban on all personal cell phones and internet-enabled devices during school hours. To help students find personal success that supports wellness, the district asks parents and guardians to review the distraction-free learning environment standards outlined below with their student(s) prior to the start of the school year.

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Why Was This Made a Law?

New York State Distraction-Free Schools Law published an overview of the research, findings and recommendations given by educators, parents, and educational leaders. Among the findings shared by the state:

• Phones can distract students and inhibit learning and creativity.
• Schools that have instituted “phone-free” or “distraction-free” policies have noted a marked increase in student engagement both in the classroom and communal areas. 
• Phone-free environments provide a number of mental health benefits to students and teachers.
• Adolescents who spend up to three hours a day on social media are more likely to experience mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and 73% of teenagers who have been cyberbullied have experienced it on social media.

At F-M, we have continually gathered feedback from our students, teachers and families in a variety of ways, including our Research and Marketing Strategies (RMS) surveys, through our Mental Health Committee, student Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System (BIMAS) surveys, and from the feedback of those who attended our two Screenagers screenings. Much of this feedback supports a distraction-free environment.

Our job is to ensure that students find personal success in an environment that supports their overall wellness. Research shows that phones and other devices can distract students from learning and may contribute to issues like cyberbullying.

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What Does “Bell-to-Bell” Mean?

From the moment students arrive at school: 

Cell phones and other personal internet-enabled devices must be turned off and put away. This includes time in class, lunch, study halls, and passing time between periods. The ban also applies during field trips and other off campus, school-related activities held during the school day.

Once students are dismissed from school:

Students may have access to their personal devices. Students may use their personal devices after school, for example, during sports, clubs, and other evening events. These activities are not affected by the new law.

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Where Will Personal Devices Be Kept?

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What if My Child or I Need to Connect During the School Day?

We know that this is a shift for many families who are used to texting or calling their child during the day on their personal device. There are multiple ways for families to be able to reach each other:

• Students can use designated phones in the school if they need to contact home (for example, the main office, counseling office, or nurse’s office).
• Families should call the school’s main office to reach their child during the school day.
• Students can check their school email using their District-issued Chromebook.

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What Devices Are NOT Allowed?

We are asking all families to help us ensure that any personal device that connects to the internet is NOT used by students or their families during the school day, including:

• Cell phones and smartphones
• Smartwatches
• Tablets, including iPads
• Fitness trackers with messaging or calling features

Personal laptops including Macbooks, Chromebooks and windows laptops (district issued Chromebooks should be used instead).

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Are There Any Exceptions?

• District-provided devices used for learning are still allowed. For example, all students grades 5-12 have been issued Chromebooks. 
• Students with medical needs will be issued a special pouch to indicate to school staff and administration that they are entitled to use their Internet-enabled device for their medical needs (ex. blood sugar monitoring).
• Students who are classified as English Language Learners (ELL) will be issued a special pouch to indicate to school staff and administration that they are entitled to use their Internet-enabled device for translation purposes.  
• Students with an individualized education plan (IEP) or 504 plan that indicates a personal internet-enabled device is either allowed or required will be considered permissible only for the purposes outlined in their IEP/504.
• In case of an emergency, students can access their device by simply removing it from its pouch.

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What Happens If a Student Uses Their Device?

F-M has developed progressive disciplinary guidelines for each building based on level (elementary, middle and high school)in the event that students do not comply with the new law. 

Initial Violation(s)

The device will be brought to the office by the adult. Parents/guardians are contacted.

Subsequent Violation(s)

The device is taken to the office. Parents/guardians are contacted. A parent or guardian must pick up the device. 

Continued violations will be considered non-compliance/disruptive and uncooperative behavior and will be dealt with in accordance with the District Code of Conduct, which can be found on our website.

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additional questions?

Anyone with additional questions can contact building principals. It is understood that this state mandate is a big change for everyone. District administrators, faculty, and staff are asking for everyone’s support in ensuring that students know, understand and are able to comply with the new law. Together, we can create a distraction-free environment in which students are present and engaged in their learning.

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Students and Personal Electronic Devices Policy

The Board of Education recognizes that students may have personal electronic devices that can perform different functions.  Such devices include “internet-enabled devices” defined as: any smartphone, tablet, smartwatch or other device capable of connecting to the internet and enabling the user to access content on the internet, including social media applications, but do not include any such device supplied by the district for educational purposes.

Generally, the district is not responsible for stolen, lost or damaged personal electronic devices brought to school.

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Communication with Parents/Persons in Parental Relation

During the school day, to minimize distractions, parents (which, for purposes of this policy, includes persons in parental relation) may contact their children via the following methods: first emailing the student’s account directly (grades 5 – 12), then emailing the generic school office account, and before finally calling the school office in the event of an emergency.  A telephone is available in the main office of each building for student emergency use. The district will notify parents in writing of the communication protocol at the beginning of each school year and upon enrollment.

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Device Access and Storage

As required by Education Law §2803, this policy prohibits student use of internet-enabled devices during the school day (including all classes, homeroom periods, lunch, recess, study halls, and passing time) on school grounds (any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground, or land contained within the boundary of a school or district or BOCES facility), unless under an exception (e.g., IEP/Section 504 or as permitted below).

All students are discouraged from bringing devices to school. Any device that is brought to school must be silenced and kept in the student’s locker, classroom cubby, or other designated location. Specific details on storage shall be outlined in an administrative regulation to be developed by the Superintendent of Schools.

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Exceptions for Specific Purposes

Use of internet-enabled devices must be permitted where included in a student’s Individualized Education Program, Section 504 plan, or where required by law.  Additionally, the district permits the use of internet-enabled devices in the event of an emergency, and under the following circumstances:

1. Where necessary to manage a student’s healthcare (e.g., diabetes, asthma, medication, etc.);
2. For translation services; and/or
3. For students who are routinely responsible for the care and wellbeing of a family member (on a case-by-case basis, upon review and determination by a school psychologist, school social worker, or school counselor).

Parents may request an exception for their children to use internet-enabled devices during the school day as listed above.  Requests must be made to the Building Principal, and for healthcare exceptions, must include documentation from an appropriate healthcare professional. 

Students may also be permitted to use their internet-enabled devices during the school day on school grounds for specific educational purposes, if the following criteria are met:

• The student has registered the device with the district, in accordance with district procedures.
• With administrative approval, the teacher has authorized the use of specific devices for a particular activity, after which the device must be stowed per this policy.
• The student uses the device to access the Internet or authorized applications through the district’s network, under the terms of policy 4526, Computer Use in Instruction.

Under any of these exceptions, devices may only be used for the purposes outlined in the exception, and the device must be silenced and put away when not in use, to the extent compatible with the reason for the exception.

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Enforcement, Consequences and Reporting

Enforcement of this policy is chiefly the responsibility of building administrative staff; however, all designated employees are expected to assist in enforcement.  Students will be reminded of this policy regularly and consistently, especially at the start of the school year and after returning from breaks.

For students out of compliance with this policy, the device will be held in the school office until the end of the school day.

Some uses of personal electronic devices may constitute a violation of the school district Code of Conduct or other district policies, and in some instances, the law. The district will cooperate with law enforcement officials as appropriate.

Beginning September 1, 2026 and annually thereafter, the district will publish an annual report on its website detailing the enforcement of this policy over the past year, including non-identifiable demographic information of students who have faced disciplinary action for non-compliance with this policy, and an analysis of any demographic disparities in enforcement of this policy.  If a statistically significant disparate enforcement impact is identified, the report will include a plan to mitigate such disparate enforcement.

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Electronic Devices and Testing

To ensure the integrity of testing, in accordance with state guidelines, students may not bring cell phones or other personal internet enabled devices into classrooms or other exam locations during all testing.

Test proctors, monitors and school officials have the right to collect cell phones and other prohibited electronic devices prior to the start of the test and to hold them for the duration of the test taking time.  Admission to the test will be prohibited to any student who has a cell phone or other electronic device in their possession and does not relinquish it.

Students with Individualized Education Plans, Section 504 Plans, or documentation from medical practitioners specifically requiring use of electronic devices may do so as specified.

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Policy Distribution and Translation

As required by law, the district will post this policy in a clearly visible and accessible location on its website.  Upon request by a student or parent, the district will translate this policy into any of the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficient individuals in the state, as identified by the most recent American community survey published by the U.S. Census bureau.

The district will also include this information, or a plain language summary, in student/family handbooks.

Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education Policy #5695 Students and Personal Electronic Devices

Adopted: July 8, 2025
Last Revised: July 30, 2025

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