August 11, 2025
Dear Parents,
I hope this email finds you and your family enjoying a happy and healthy summer. I’m writing to keep you informed regarding the new statewide cell phone ban that will go into effect this September. As shared in our district announcement earlier this summer, New York State will implement Governor Hochul’s bell-to-bell ban on cell phones and personal internet-enabled devices in all public schools for all K-12 students during the school day. Our Board of Education and administration are following the mandated timeframe for implementation regarding how this policy will look in Nyack Public Schools. It’s important that you understand basic protocols and responsibilities. Here are some key points to know:
• On July 1, our BOE adopted Policy 5695: Students and Electronic Devices in accordance with Education Law §2803(1). Beginning September 1, 2025, students shall not use a personal internet-enabled device while on school grounds during the school day, except as expressly provided in Section V of this policy. Please read the policy for details.
• This means all devices - including but not limited to smartphones, iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches - will be turned off and stored away all day, even during lunch and recess. On-site storage facilities will be provided in each building for students who bring them to school.
• Principals will be sending a letter to families outlining how this policy will be implemented in each building to clarify procedures for storing and retrieving devices. Please note that this will look differently in the elementary schools than in the middle and high school.
• In the high school, students will place their turned-off devices in designated areas within each classroom and will be asked to store them in their backpacks during non-instructional time. In middle school, students will keep their devices turned off in their backpacks throughout the day. In the elementary schools, devices will remain in students’ backpacks, turned off, and stored in their cubbies. Principals will share additional details and strategies for supporting students in meeting these expectations to help ensure that students and families are on the same page.
• We will be releasing a short public service announcement (PSA) video before school starts to help everyone understand what this policy will look like in Nyack Public Schools.
• My leadership team will be collecting data on the effectiveness and challenges of this new policy for reevaluation in January 2026, as stated in the policy.
What can parents do? Encourage your elementary child(ren) to keep devices (including smartwatches) at home and reiterate with all students that they must adhere to this new policy. Help your child(ren) understand that limiting distractions caused by personal devices during the school day is important. Everyone should know that for urgent communications or emergency situations, our main offices and guidance department staff are alert and ready to respond to individual students and schoolwide needs. While we all adjust to this new policy, let’s help each other focus on the benefit of building a learning environment for students, free from personal electronic devices in our schools.
I can’t wait to see everyone back in school on Tuesday, September 2. Until then, take care and be sure to mark your calendars for our First Annual RedHawk ReadyFest on Sunday, August 24!
Yours in Education,
Dr. Lizzette Ruiz-Giovinazzi
Superintendent of Schools
