A big change is coming to New York City public schools beginning this September, aimed at eliminating distractions in the classroom.

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A big change is coming to New York City public schools beginning this September, aimed at eliminating distractions in the classroom.

Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, internet-enabled devices such as cellphones, tablets and smart watches will no longer be allowed to be used during the school day by students.

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As the first day of school approaches, Jefferson County Public Schools is gearing up for a complete cellphone ban districtwide.

Oelke said that she had previously worked at a school with a zero-tolerance cell phone policy. “It was absolutely one of the best teaching years that I have had in over a decade,” Oelke said.

Officials with the Phoenix Elementary School District said they follow "away for the day" guidelines, where students have to turn their phones off once they get to campus.

Anchor Bay schools are going cellphone-free this fall. The district is planning to roll out a new “Away-for-the-Day” device policy at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

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Last year, Poughkeepsie City School District implemented an ‘away for the day’ policy at the middle and high school.

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Take the "Away For The Day" pledge and show that you support school policies that require students to put their cell phones away in lockers, backpacks, or other places all day.

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