The Westbury Board of Education announced the district will use designated phone lines in implementing a state-mandated cellphone ban at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
“We are still here for the kids,” Superintendent Tahira DuPree Chase said. “It’s not a motto, it’s not a slogan, it is a mindset. Every decision we make, everything we do, every purchase that is made, every hire we make is for the kids. We could not be any more committed than we are now to being here for the kids.”
Westbury schools will open their doors on Sept. 2 for the start of the new school year.
Dupree said the district is ensuring that bus schedules and back-to-school supply lists are available on the district website.
The beginning of the school year will also mark the start of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s ban on cellphones in schools.
The ban, which became law May 9, aims to reduce distractions and increase student engagement by prohibiting the use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices “bell-to-bell” — meaning from the start to the end of the school day. The policy covers not only instructional time but also noninstructional periods such as lunch and recess.
Westbury adopted its bell-to-bell cellphone policy in July. The policy requires students to keep their phones in their lockers and has detailed consequences for students who do not follow the guidelines. The full language of the district’s policy can be found on its website.
Chase assured the audience that the cellphone ban is a directive from the governor’s office and something that each district throughout the state must enforce.
“My students are not clapping,” Chase jokingly said regarding the policy changes.
Chase announced that the district has designated phone lines at each school where families can reach out to children. The superintendent said there will be somebody who will answer the calls and deliver messages to students.
“We also know that being present in your classroom is so very important,” Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Curriculum & Instruction Brendan Gallivan said. “There’s a time and place for everything.”
Gallivan said that there will be a learning curve, and town hall meetings will be scheduled so that the district can collect feedback on its policy from students, parents, and teachers.
Town hall dates were not announced at the meeting.
