Garrison School District in NY Gets Strict with New Phone Policy

Earlier this summer, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul kicked off a "listening tour" across New York state to hear from parents, educators and stakeholders regarding the topic of smartphones in the classroom.

Hochul stated in a press release that she believes “We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing – not clicking and scrolling.”

Should Phones Be Allowed in the Classroom?

Many are split on the debate of cell phone access in the classroom.

Some argue that smartphones serve as a real distraction to students in the classroom. There's also the element of privacy in the classroom. Students can take out their phones and record and post anything with a smartphone which creates a new threat in the realm of bullying in schools.

However, many parents argue that they feel safer knowing their child has the ability to contact them whenever needed. With the rise of gun violence on school campuses, many parents are in favor of allowing children to keep their phones in classrooms as a measure of security in case of emergency.

No More Cell Phones in Class for One Lower Hudson Valley District

Garrison Central School District recently posted its guidelines for the incoming school year on its district website. Among the guidelines is a section for Cell Phones.

According to the site, "Cell phone use is not permitted during the instructional day (8:25am - 3:15pm)."

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The district shares that cell phones are expected to be locked away in student lockers during the instructional time period. They also share that stored phones must be completely powered off or put in silence mode.

Garrison Central School District goes on to explain that more information about the new cell phone guidelines will be shared in the Code of Conduct and Acceptable Use Policies document that is to be distributed in the coming days.

When more information is released, we'll be sure to update.