Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy

General Overview

Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, in accordance with New York State law (see NYS Law) New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is updating its policy regarding the use of personal internet-enabled electronic devices—including cell phones—in school. This change supports the State's intent to create distraction-free schools (see NYS Guidance), and aims to ensure safe and focused learning environments across all NYCPS schools.

Due to approved amendments to Chancellor’s Regulation A-413 (see Chancellor's Regulation) by the Panel for Educational Policy on July 23, 2025, students are not permitted to use personal internet-enabled electronic devices during the school day. These include such devices as cell phones, laptops, tablets, and portable music and entertainment systems. The public-facing webpage answers numerous frequently asked questions and outlines helpful information for students and families (see NYCPS Cell Phone Policy Page).

Key changes outlined in this regulation require actions schools must be prepared to take beginning on the first day of school for SY 2025-2026:

  • Principals must be prepared to implement this policy on September 4, 2025.
  • Familiarize your school community with Chancellor’s Regulation A-413 to gain deeper understanding and familiarity with the
  • allowable exceptions;
  • potential options for storing or collecting devices; and
  • disciplinary guidance.
    • Connect with your School Leadership Team (SLT) and PA/PTA in the development of school-specific policies.
    • Stay connected with your Superintendent and District Office Teams for additional guidance(s) and support(s).

    For schools to comply with the regulation, they need to (1) share a copy of their Cell Phone and Electronic Device policy with the appropriate superintendent for review and (2) post this policy on their public-facing website.

    Implementation Guidance 

    Principals received an email from the Chief Operating Officer on July 15 regarding implementation of the policy. As an update, for more information on funding, refer to the School Allocation Memorandum No. 48, FY 2026. For support with creating your school’s plan, you may use this Optional Template for School Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy.

    You may also use the resources in this toolkit as you begin implementation and communication with your school community. The toolkit includes:

    • General policy announcement flyer (available in all NYCPS languages);
    • Template for communicating your school-specific policy to families;
    • Template for school-specific emergency student contact information;
    • Policy icons, web graphics, and social media graphics with sample social media messages for sharing your new school policy with families.

    For information on translation services for your school’s finalized family communication(s), refer to the Office of Language Access InfoHub page.

    To additionally support understanding of the state law, the Chancellor’s Regulation, collection methodologies, and best practices, the Division of School Leadership (DSL) put together a comprehensive FAQ Guide for Principals and Superintendents (see School Leadership FAQ).