On a brisk Tuesday morning this September, the sidewalks outside West End Secondary School on New York’s Upper West Side buzzed with the usual pre-class energy—students clutching iced coffees, backpacks slung over shoulders, and, notably, smartphones in hand. But this year, a new ritual greeted them at the door. Principal Andrew Wintner stood ready, not just to offer fist bumps, but to oversee the school’s strict enforcement of New York state's new bell-to-bell ban on cell phones and smartwatches during school hours—a policy that’s generating headlines and debate far beyond city limits.
Under the new state mandate, students must secure their phones in neoprene pouches with a locking mechanism, only to be unlocked at the day’s final bell. As they arrive, students line up to place their devices inside the pouches, which are then sealed with a distinctive click using a special magnet at the entrance. The pouches, branded by Yondr, stay with the students but remain locked until dismissal, a system designed to keep temptation at bay while still allowing students to keep their property close.
“What we don’t want is like that first interaction to be a negative one,” Wintner told West Side Rag. “Even though we are asking them to put their phones in the Yondr pouch, we are not raising our voices…we are not being negative towards them, we’re using it as a way to build relationship and make sure they feel seen as they come into the building.”
The new policy, which kicked off with the 2025-2026 school year and began in earnest on September 16, gives schools some discretion in enforcement. While West End Secondary, Columbia Secondary School, and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School opted for the pouch system, many other schools collect phones in the homeroom or at the office, holding onto them until the end of the day. Some middle schools, as noted by West Side Rag, had similar policies in place even before the state law.
Implementing the policy hasn’t been without its hiccups. Students who forget their pouches must surrender their phones to the main office. In one memorable incident, a student arrived with a pouch sporting ragged holes—courtesy of a family pit bull. And, as with any new rule, a few students have tried to skirt the system. Senior Jonah Guthartz admitted, “I have definitely seen people slide wallets into the Yondr pouch and lock it and then walk in with a locked pouch.” Others have reportedly used fake or burner phones, or even forced open the pouches with strong magnets, risking consequences if caught.
West End Secondary’s approach to violations is firm but measured. The first time a student is caught with a phone, it’s confiscated and must be retrieved by a parent. Repeat offenses do not lead to suspension, but the school maintains a low tolerance for rule-breaking. “I feel like that’s a pretty drastic step one,” Guthartz said, reflecting on the immediate confiscation policy. Still, Principal Wintner emphasized that discipline would never escalate to suspensions for repeat violations.
For some students, the adjustment has been tough. Carter Chatfield, a senior, reflected, “For some kids, like having your phone for so long, and using it in your everyday life, especially in school, and it’s just taken, just one random day, it’s hard.” Others lamented the loss of music during breaks or the inconvenience of not being able to check messages about classroom changes or homework on online portals. Dismissal time can get chaotic as students crowd around wall-mounted magnets to unlock their pouches—a scene that’s become a daily spectacle.
Parents, too, have mixed feelings. Rebecca Saltzman, mother of two sixth graders at Booker T. Washington Middle School, told West Side Rag, “I agree that kids should not be having their phones out in class and that could be a real distraction, and that kind of thing. But on the other hand, I do like that my kids can reach me if anything happens during the day. That is kind of reassuring to me.” Saltzman noted that her older children’s high school operates more on an honor system, with students often finding ways to keep their phones out of sight or using laptops to message home during the day.
To address such concerns, schools have set up protocols allowing administrators to unlock pouches in emergencies. Wintner assured parents during outreach sessions before the school year that communication would be possible if needed. “The students in this building are so incredibly resilient and quick to adapt to things if they understand the rationale,” he said.
Despite the initial bumps, the policy is already showing signs of success. Teachers at West End Secondary report a marked increase in student participation, laughter, and genuine interaction. “I’ve heard teachers say there is more laughter, there’s more relaxation, there’s more joy,” Wintner said. “I cannot express to you how different the vibes or the aura is in this building without just seeing students locked into their phones. Actually seeing their faces, seeing their facial expressions, watching them be vulnerable with each other and their teachers is really quite moving.”
New York City has invested heavily in the rollout, allocating $16 million to schools for implementation and earmarking a total of $25 million for continued costs. The average cost per student is $25.90, and West End Secondary alone will spend about $20,000, according to West Side Rag.
New York’s experience isn’t unique. In New Hampshire, Governor Kelly Ayotte recently championed a similar bell-to-bell cell phone ban. In an interview on September 21, 2025, Ayotte described overwhelmingly positive initial feedback. “We’re seeing a positive impact with that, with the kids talking to each other, more focus in the classroom,” she told CloseUp. She acknowledged the inevitable “bumps in the beginning” as students, parents, and teachers adjust, but expressed confidence that these would be ironed out over time.
Ayotte highlighted a benefit echoed in New York: the reduction in cyberbullying and the resurgence of socialization. “If you’re not on your phones during the day, then that social media piece is calmed down. And that’s a good thing for our kids to have that break,” she said. She even noted, with a touch of nostalgia, that lunchrooms had become noisy again—“the kids talking to each other, friends connecting. It’s a good thing.”
Both Wintner and Ayotte stressed the importance of adults leading by example, putting down their own phones to foster a more engaged and present environment for students. “We need to lead by example,” Ayotte said. “Can we still have those conversations and make sure we’re showing our kids?”
While some parents and students remain ambivalent, the early data and testimonials suggest that the bell-to-bell phone bans are already reshaping school culture—encouraging real conversation, deeper engagement, and, perhaps, a little more joy in the halls. Whether these gains will persist as the novelty fades remains to be seen, but for now, the policy’s champions are optimistic, and the lunchrooms are buzzing once again.
