Stissing Mountain High School halls may be more boisterous when classes resume on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Because of a new state law banning cellphones, students will be chatting directly with one another, instead of texting.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in May — set to take effect on the first day of the 2025-26 academic year — that prohibits student use of personal internet-enabled devices in all K-12 public, BOCES, and charter schools. The law bars students from using smartphones, smart watches, and tablets during the school day — from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., or bell to bell. The devices are not only forbidden in the classroom but also during lunch, study hall, and time spent in the restroom or between classes. New York is one of 26 states to prohibit or significantly restrict school cellphone use.
The legislation requires schools to develop a phone-free policy with input from teachers, parents, and students; provide secure storage for students’ electronics during the day; and establish a way for families to contact their children if necessary. Schools must publish an annual report detailing the plan’s enforcement.
The ban is intended to support student mental health and to reduce social media distraction. According to a 2023 advisory from former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, adolescents who spend up to three hours a day on social media platforms are at double the risk for depression or anxiety. Learning is affected, too: A July 2025 Pew Research Center study found that nearly 75 percent of teachers blame cellphone use for interfering with classroom learning, and supported the ban.
The Pine Plains Central School District board adopted a policy in 2019 allowing students to use personal electronic devices for educational purposes or in approved locations, with teacher approval. According to Stissing Mountain Principal Christopher Boyd, the restrictions were revised two years ago: Students were still able to carry cellphones in their pockets and bags, but couldn’t use them in classrooms and study halls.
The district updated its policy on July 15 to comply with the new state law, after getting input from staff, parents, and students: Students are restricted from using internet-enabled devices — except for school-issued computers — from bell to bell. Devices will be stored in the student’s locker, with a lock provided if needed. Parents or caregivers can contact their child in various ways, such as calling the school office, sending an email to a specially designated address, or dropping off a handwritten note.
Not all Pine Plains families are happy with the new restrictions. Tiffany Ogden, a parent, said, “I was satisfied with the previous rules,” she said. “We live in a different world now: There have been guns in schools — sometimes you need to call your kid immediately.”
Ogden’s daughter, 16-year-old Faith Foglia, who will be a Stissing Mountain junior, also disagrees with the ban. “For some, cellphones serve as a discreet and safe outlet for communication,” she told the Herald. “Especially when they aren’t comfortable speaking directly with a guidance counselor or school nurse.”
Veronica Johnston’s 11-year-old son will be entering the sixth grade. “I grew up without cell phones, but I do support using them for emergencies only,” she said. “Ideally the teacher should be in charge of the phones in each class.”
Exceptions are made for students with specific, documented needs, according to Boyd. “For example, if a student is diabetic and uses a monitor through their phone,” he said. Johnston’s son is hearing impaired, and controls his hearing aid with his cell phone. “The district is making his school Chromebook bluetooth-compatible for this reason,” she said. “I’m satisfied with this solution.”
There are no districtwide policies for teachers. “It would be a best practice [for them] to remember to be a role model with responsible use,” Boyd said. “There are several things that we have that require teachers to use cellphones, such as multi-factor authentication for logging in and emergency response applications.”
Student smartphone use has been prohibited for years at the district’s other schools.
Seymour Smith Elementary School Principal Julie Roberts said in an email to the Herald, “Cellphones haven’t ever been allowed for students to have at Seymour, and it’s been that way since I started here in 2014. Any issues that have come up have been minor, and easily amenable with parents. I don’t anticipate any issues with the new legislation.”
Kristen Fischetti, principal at Cold Spring Early Learning Center, agreed: “With the new ban, Cold Spring will continue with the restrictions we already have in place. Communication is key and families are always encouraged to call the main office if they have any sort of concerns.”
The school district is prohibited by law from suspending a student for violating this policy. Instead, the device will be held in the school office until the end of the day, and the parent will be notified. For subsequent offenses, the parent must retrieve the device.
“I look at everything as an opportunity,” Boyd told the Herald. “Learning is hard and having less distractions takes away an obstacle — which is good. I also know that students will need to adjust to this and it won’t be easy for some, but my hope is that as a community we can come together and be successful.”