Dear Parents and Guardians,
This letter is to inform you of an important new policy regarding cellphone use in schools, which will take effect for the 2025-26 school year. New York State’s Distraction-Free Schools Law prohibits the unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day 7:55am-2:29pm, including classroom time and other settings like lunch and study hall periods. This also includes activities during the school day that may be outside of the building or off campus (i.e., CTE programs, field trips, PE classes, etc.).
To ensure a successful implementation, these restrictions must be applied district-wide. The district will provide locks for corridor lockers for students in grades 5-12 to secure their device throughout the school day. If at any time the provided lock is damaged or lost, it must be replaced at the cost of the student/family. We understand that parents may be concerned about not being able to contact their child during the school day. We will work to ensure that channels for communication remain open in case of emergencies. Parents can contact their child by calling the main office to leave a message. District phones are available in all classrooms and the guidance office. In addition, email can be utilized to contact office staff throughout the day.
In addition to providing a secure location for each device (locked in lockers), all districts must provide clarity regarding consequences if the law is not abided by. District wide we will utilize the existing progressive discipline structure for the “cell phone policy violation” referred to in the code of conduct. The progressive discipline will include a warning, directives to secure the device in their lockers, and administrative confiscation of the phone with parental pick-up required. Our hope is that the initial response will be sufficient and that instances will not escalate to insubordination, thereby progressing the consequence.
For this policy to truly benefit the FFCS learning environment, we request parents collaborate with the district to ensure devices are secured and out of sight from bell to bell. We are confident this new approach will foster a more concentrated and interactive learning atmosphere for all students. We will keep you informed of further updates and details regarding this policy’s implementation, and the full policy will be available on the district website for your reference and review.
Sincerely,
Aaron T. Grady
High School Principal