As the 2025-26 academic year dawns, schools across the United States are grappling with a new reality: how to handle the omnipresence of student cellphones. From sweeping statewide bans in New York to district-level crackdowns in upstate communities like Massena, and a swirl of legislative drama in Michigan, the question of how—and whether—to limit students’ access to personal devices is sparking intense debate and policy shifts.
In Massena, New York, the Central School District is welcoming students back with more than just new faces. According to NorthCountryNow.com, the district has hired a bevy of new staff, including chemistry teacher Benjamin Averill, several special education teachers, elementary educators, PE and music teachers, and even a Mohawk Language & MBK Mentor, Theresa Fox. Administrative changes include Amy Wells stepping into the role of Director of Special Education and Anthony Diagostino taking over as Nightingale Principal. Superintendent Ron Burke emphasized that the district is still seeking a speech pathologist, though one vacancy has been filled by Kylie Letham, and the district has also brought in a school psychologist and Registered Nurse Christine Parisian.
Yet, it’s not just personnel that’s new. Massena is in the early stages of a $78.2 million capital project, with plans to overhaul HVAC systems, install a new turf field, renovate locker rooms and the high school pool, and replace the high school’s boiler system. Burke explained, “We are beginning the design phase of the capital project. Over the next several months, stakeholder groups will meet with the architects to provide valuable input on the spaces that they use daily. We are on schedule to submit plans to the New York State Education Department by the Summer of 2026 and solicit construction bids in early 2027. We anticipate that the first phase of construction will start in the Spring of 2027.”
But perhaps the most immediate change for students is the district’s firm stance on cellphones. As Burke put it, “Students will not be permitted to carry or use any personal electronic internet-able device during the school day. Students are to secure such devices in their lockers or cubbies.” This policy, adopted in July 2025 and shaped by recommendations from Erie 1 BOCES, defines personal technology broadly—smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, MP3 players, cameras, and more all fall under the ban. The only exceptions are for students with medical needs or those whose Individualized Education Plans require device use. For violators, the consequences escalate quickly: the first offense results in confiscation until the end of the day; a second, parental pickup; a third, disciplinary referral for insubordination. The district will publish an annual enforcement report starting September 1, 2026.
This local policy aligns with a larger trend in New York. As reported by PIX11, a new statewide “bell-to-bell” phone ban takes effect this September, requiring all public school students from kindergarten through twelfth grade to keep personal electronics stored during the entire school day. School-issued devices—laptops and Chromebooks—remain permitted for instructional use, but the days of texting under the desk or sneaking a TikTok video between classes are, for now, officially over. Each school will determine its own enforcement measures and consequences, tailoring the new mandate to its unique community. The new school year also brings seven new public schools opening across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx, a sign of ongoing growth and adaptation in the nation’s largest public school system.
For New York’s students, the first break comes at the end of September for Rosh Hashanah, with winter break scheduled from December 24, 2025, to January 2, 2026, and the last day of school on June 26, 2026. The phone ban, however, will be a daily reality from the very first bell.
Meanwhile, Michigan presents a study in legislative gridlock. Despite Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s call in her State of the State address for a new law to restrict student phone use—citing evidence that “commonsense restrictions on phone use during class lead to more learning and less bullying”—the state entered the new school year without a uniform policy. As the Detroit Free Press reported, both the Michigan House and Senate introduced competing bills, but neither chamber could reach consensus before students returned to classrooms.
In practice, many Michigan districts already impose their own restrictions. At Richards Middle School in Fraser, for example, phones must be stored in caddies or lockers, and students are prohibited from using them to take photos, make calls, text, or access social media—even during lunch. Teacher Darcy Fisette told students, “I should not at any point see a phone in your pocket lighting up.” The Michigan Education Association, representing teachers statewide, strongly supports phone bans, with spokesperson Thomas Morgan noting, “This is really important to our front-line members who are living this reality every day.”
The legislative battle, however, has turned political. State Rep. Mark Tisdel introduced a bill to ban phones in schools, with exemptions for emergencies and medical devices, but his proposal failed in the House, sparking finger-pointing between Republicans and Democrats. Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Dayna Polehanki, passed a bill requiring districts to create their own phone use policies, but House Democrats balked at Tisdel’s more restrictive version, citing concerns about flexibility and costs. House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri’s spokesperson argued that administrators needed more leeway, while Sen. Lana Theis, a Republican, called the Senate bill “too permissive.”
The fallout extended beyond Lansing. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, now running for governor as an independent, seized on the controversy, declaring, “One million Michigan school children are about to return to school in classrooms where their cellphones will continue to be a constant distraction.” Yet, as State Rep. Regina Weiss pointed out, lawmakers had also failed to pass the state’s education budget, a more pressing concern for many districts. “It wouldn’t be responsible to impose new cellphone restrictions on schools without a budget,” Weiss said, noting that districts may need to purchase pouches or lockers for phones—a cost not currently covered.
Despite the impasse, lawmakers like Tisdel and Polehanki insist they’re close to a deal. Tisdel suggested, “While districts currently have cellphone policies, Michigan needs a statewide policy that sets a minimum statewide standard and takes some pressure off of teachers.” For now, though, Michigan’s students and teachers must navigate a patchwork of district-level rules, with the promise of statewide clarity still on the horizon.
Across the country, the debate over student cellphone use is more than a question of discipline; it’s a window into broader concerns about technology, learning, and the social climate of American schools. As districts and legislatures wrestle with the balance between connectivity and concentration, the new school year promises not just new faces and fresh starts, but also a test of how schools adapt to the digital age—one pocket at a time.
