CHENANGO COUNTY – Chenango County school districts will have an additional state resource to lean on as they plan implementation of a sweeping smartphone ban mandated by the governor to take effect this fall.

New York State has launched a website for school districts to utilize while planning “bell-to-bell” restrictions on smartphones. The ban – which applies to all schools in public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) – will take effect at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

The state’s new website contains a policy FAQ, toolkit, and examples which school districts can use to design their policy. State law requires schools to publish a distraction-free plan for the community to review by Aug. 1.