Plans to enforce new cellphone restrictions in the country’s largest school district are now on hold. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced, ahead of the start of the new school year, that the city needs more time to work on the plan before rolling it out.
With just a week until students head back to the classroom, Adams said he wants more feedback from parents. Regardless, adding some level of restriction is still expected this year.
There are already several schools in the city with cellphone bans in place. Adams explained that implementing a citywide ban involves more complexities.
The mayor pointed out that once the plan is officially announced, various factors would come into play. Discussions with the United Federation of Teachers about who will fund and manage the necessary pouches or other enforcement mechanisms will need to occur.
Adams also acknowledged previous attempts to ban cellphones. One ban during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration faced some pushback.
With the new school year fast approaching, many parents and educators are eager for rules to be clarified. The national conversation around cellphone use in schools is growing louder on both sides.
Just this past June, Los Angeles became the largest school district in the U.S. to ban cellphones. Entire states like Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota have also hopped on board to curtail cellphone use in schools.
There has also been pushback from students, with a number of districts across the nation seeing petitions from students coming out against these policies.
