The Locust Valley Central School District is gearing up to implement Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “bell-to-bell” smartphone ban.
The policy, passed as part of New York’s 2026 state budget in May, requires that smartphones be kept away from students during the entire school day. This includes, lunch, recess, study hall and passing periods. Use of other internet-enabled devices, like smartwatches, iPads, and laptops is forbidden as well.
All public and charter schools are subject to the rule, which will be in effect this coming school year.
At the school district’s Wednesday, June 11, board of education meeting, Locust Valley administrators made it clear that they felt prepared for the change.
“Locust Valley has been out in front,” said Patrick DiClemente, the principal of the district’s sole high school. “Prior to any policy, the conversations had been happening.”
DiClemente led a presentation on how the school district is handling the implementation of the ban, focusing on Locust Valley High School.
He said that district leadership had laid the foundation for such policies in the summer of 2023, focusing on keeping smartphones out of classrooms so that they could be distraction-free environments. The new rules are simply a shift to a distraction-free school day as a whole.
Some parents’ concerns about the smartphone ban included the potential inability to contact their children while they were at school.
DiClemente said that the goal was to give parents contacting the school a “first-class” experience and make the process as smooth as possible. For students, he emphasized that they should always feel welcomed by staff to use the phones in the school offices.
Another topic has been where students will keep their technology while at school. Districts across the state have mulled buying special devices, like lockers or pouches, for the phones, something DiClemente said would be unnecessary at his high school.
“We have the devices that we need,” he said. “We have a locker for every student.”
The principal added that locker use by students had declined in recent years, and that the smartphone ban would hopefully reverse this and lead to fewer backpacks being brought to class.
As for how discipline for violating the smartphone ban will be handled, DiClemente said that clearly communicating the penalties students might face is key. The punishments will be progressive and could be subject to change as the district gathers data on the new rule as the year progresses.
Locust Valley’s smartphone policy has not yet been finalized, something DiClemente said would happen after consultation with students, staff, and parent groups. He said the district will communicate extensively to keep the school community informed of the guidelines as the school year approaches.
To close out his presentation, DiClemente mentioned the Latin phrase amor fati, which translates to “love of one’s fate.” He said it means learning to appreciate your circumstances even if they seem averse to begin with, as might be the case with the smartphone ban.
“Even if [the students] are uncomfortable with this at the start,” he said, “we’re going to grow together, and it will be a better situation in the long run.”
