5695 - STUDENTS AND PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES

5000 - STUDENTS

Last Updated Date: 07/14/2025

Related Policies & Documents: 4526, 5300

The Board of Education of the Manhasset Union Free School District recognizes that students may have personal electronic devices that can perform different functions. Such devices include “internet-enabled devices” defined as: any smartphone, tablet, smartwatch or other device capable of connecting to the internet and enabling the user to access content on the internet, including social media applications, but do not include any such device supplied by the district for educational purposes.

Other personal electronic devices include devices which are not capable of connecting to the internet and accessing content on the internet, such as fitness trackers, wireless headphones and earbuds, e-readers, voice recorders, non-internet-capable cellular phones, cameras and music devices. These personal electronic devices may create significant distraction to the school environment, negatively impact student mental health, contribute to disciplinary infractions, and reduce student engagement; Additionally, in an emergency, the use of personal electronic devices can distract students from following the directions of staff or emergency responders, contribute to the spread of misinformation, create congestion in the emergency response system, and interfere with the district’s emergency response protocols. The district is not responsible for stolen, lost or damaged personal electronic devices brought to school.

Communication with Parents/Persons in Parental Relation

During the school day, to minimize distractions, parents, guardians, and persons in parental relation may contact their children by calling the school office or using the student’s district-provided email address. The district will notify parents in writing of the communication protocol at the beginning of each school year and upon new students’ enrollment. Such written notice may be provided to parents via electronic means and posted prominently on the district website.

Device Access and Storage

As required by Education Law §2803, this policy prohibits student use of internet-enabled devices during the school day on school grounds (i.e., any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground, or land contained within the boundary of a school or district), unless under an exception (e.g., IEP/Section 504 Accommodation Plan or as permitted below). For secondary students, any device that is brought to school must be turned off and kept in the student’s locker. For elementary students, cell phones are discouraged from being brought to school; devices should be turned off and kept in cubbies or desks.

Students are discouraged from bringing other personal electronic devices to school. If students do bring such devices to school, they must be stored for the entire school day in lockers (secondary students) and/or cubbies or desks (elementary students). Devices must be turned off and not used during the school day unless permission is granted by the building principal for a specific educational purpose.

Administrators and staff may also restrict student use of electronic devices during school events and activities held off school grounds.

Exceptions for Specific Purposes

Use of internet-enabled devices must be permitted where included in a student’s Individualized Education Program, Section 504 Accommodation Plan, or where required by law.

The district permits the use of internet-enabled devices in the event of an emergency or when used to manage a student’s healthcare (e.g.: diabetes, asthma, medication, etc.) or for translation services. Parents must request exceptions for these purposes other than for IEPs or 504 Accommodation Plans. Requests must be made in writing to the Building Principal, and for healthcare exceptions, they must include documentation from an appropriate healthcare professional.

Students may also be permitted to use their internet-enabled devices during the school day on school grounds for specific educational purposes, if the following criteria are met:

• With administrative approval at the building level, the teacher has authorized the use of specific devices for a particular activity, after which the device must be stored per this policy.
• The student uses the device to access the Internet or authorized applications through the district’s network, under the terms of policy 4526, Computer Use in Instruction.

Under any of these exceptions, devices may only be used for the purposes outlined in the exception, after which the device must be turned off and stored in accordance with this policy’s Device Access and Storage section.

Enforcement and Consequences

Enforcement of this policy is the responsibility of building administrative staff; however, all designated employees are expected to assist in its enforcement. Students will be reminded of this policy regularly and consistently, especially at the start of the school year and when returning from an extended break.

For students out of compliance with this policy, the device will be confiscated and held in the school office until the end of the school day and the student’s parents will be notified. For students out of compliance on multiple occasions, parents or persons in parental relations may be required to come to school to retrieve the device. The district will exercise reasonable care to maintain the security of devices that are held by the district but cannot guarantee the devices will be secure.

Administrators will discuss the aims of this policy with students and their parents, the benefits of a distraction-free environment, the reasons the student had difficulty following this policy, and how the district can help the student contribute to a distraction-free environment.

The district may not impose suspension from school if the sole ground for the suspension is that the student accessed an internet-enabled device as prohibited by this policy. However, the district may utilize consequences under the district’s Code of Conduct, including detention, in-school suspension, and exclusion from extracurricular activities for insubordination related to enforcement of this policy. The district may also impose assignments about the detrimental impact of social media on mental health, smartphones in school, or other relevant topics.

Some uses of personal electronic devices may constitute a violation of the school district Code of Conduct or other district policies, including but not limited to insubordination, and in some instances, the law. The district may impose consequences under the Code of Conduct for such violations. The district will cooperate with law enforcement officials as appropriate.

Policy Distribution and Translation

As required by law, the district will post this policy in a clearly visible and accessible location on its website. Upon request by a student or parent, the district will translate this policy into any of the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficient individuals in the state, as identified by the most recent American community survey published by the U.S. Census bureau.

 

Ref:
Education Law §2803
Price v. New York City Board of Education, 51 A.D.3d 277, lv. to appeal denied, 11 N.Y.3d 702 (2008) (District may ban possession of cell phones on school property)
NYSED, Prohibition of Cell Phones and Electronic Devices in New York State Assessments, www.nysed.gov/educator-integrity/prohibition-cell-phones-and-electronic-devices-new-york-state-assessments