Lackawanna, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Lackawanna City School District announced they will be implementing a "no cell phone/electronics" policy for the next 2024-25 school year for kids in grades 6-12.
According to a statement written on the school's social media pages and website, this initiative aims to create an optimal learning environment for all students, emphasizing the district's commitment to academic excellence and student well-being.
"We know that based on research, schools who restrict cell phone use during the day, their students do better academically, behaviorally, and their overall health is better. Why not implement an initiative that has been proven to work? Our students deserve the best, and we want to give them the best," said Lackawanna City Schools Superintendent Nadia Nashir.
This announcement follows Gov. Kathy Hochul's push to address the mental health crisis amongst youth. The governor recently worked to pass legislation that would curb social media companies from promoting addictive social media algorithms to minors and has recently made trips to schools to consider legislation that could potentially entail prohibiting smartphones from being used during class time statewide.
"I think nationwide we've noticed that cell phones are a problem, and they're negatively impacting our students' relationships with one another, having students focusing on what someone is replying to. If it's an Instagram [post] and not really focusing on what's important, which is, again, learning, and learning how to develop social skills," Nashir added in an interview with WBEN.
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Other local schools have implemented similar policies as well as other districts across the nation, such as Gaskill Preparatory School in Niagara Falls, and the Los Angeles Unified School District in California.
Nashir notes that the school will be given a "lockable pouch" for their phone.
"Every student will be given a lockable pouch at the beginning of the day. Students are required to make sure their cell phone, their device is in the lockable pouch. The pouch will remain with the student, it will be in their possession throughout the day. And then at the end of the day, prior to exiting our doors, they will be able to unlock the pouches and then be able to use their phones as they wish," she detailed.
Nashir notes that since the policy was announced, a majority of the parents have been supportive of the change. However, they can give more of their input and learn more on the policy in two Town Hall-style meetings that the district will be hosting this August.
The meetings will be held on Monday, Aug. 19, at 9:30 a.m. in the High School/Middle School library, and Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. ET in the High School cafeteria.