From Niagara Falls City School District Superintendent Mark Laurrie - July 2025
It used to be that the most important thing you had to have in your pocket during school hours to call home was a quarter for the pay phone in the hallway. Many years later, more sophisticated cellphones are what fill our pockets and purses. Nearly everyone has one, and many feel they can't live without them. Anyone who has lost a cell phone for even just an hour knows the feeling – we're lost, bewildered, and we want to use someone else’s phone to call someone for help, and we haven't memorized a phone number in two decades!
Being without cellphones (and other Smart Devices) will be the new reality for students of the NFCSD and districts across the state next school year. The rationale behind the ban is to protect youth mental health during the school day (the ban will be in effect from bell to bell) by reducing distractions, increasing in-person interaction, and reducing the cyberbullying and stress that social media can create.
Each district is tasked with creating its own smart device policy. The NFCSD has been researching and discussing the best ways to address all concerns and issues related to the policy and to establish clear guidelines so students, parents, staff, and teachers will all have full knowledge of the expectations.
The district has been listening to parents and students who are concerned about communicating during the day without cell phones. All students will be allowed to make emergency calls to their parents or guardians with the permission of a teacher or administrator. Additionally, parents or guardians will be able to contact their children through the school's main office. In the event of an emergency, the school will maintain frequent contact with parents and guardians through autodialer calls, social media, and the Remind system. It is not safe for students to be on their phones in a serious emergency; they will need to follow instructions and commands from teachers, administrators, security officers, and law enforcement, and to remain quiet while sheltering in place. A ringing phone could reveal a hiding place, thus compromising safety.
Our policy will include state-allowed exemptions to the smartphone restrictions, including for students who require access to an internet-enabled device to manage a medical condition, for a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), or any other legitimate purposes, such as translation, and family caregiving.
The storage of cell phones during the school day is a significant concern for many parents, staff, and students. The district plans to purchase a device called the Yondr Pouch for all students in grades 7 - 12.
The pouch allows individuals to keep their phones secured. We will insist that their pouches remain in lockers. Each student will turn off their phone or put it on airplane mode and place it inside the Yondr pouch upon arrival at school. Once sealed, the pouch can only be unlocked using a specialized magnetic unlocking base located in designated areas of the school. The NFCSD will also provide school staff with hand-held unlocking devices. Younger students (elementary-aged) will not receive Yondr pouches; they will need to keep their devices in a locker, cubby, or other out-of-sight location.
The board of education will vote on its cell phone policy at its meeting on July 31, 2025. The district will submit its policy to the state the next day.
It will be challenging to adjust to a new normal when schools go device-free in September. However, the board, staff, and administrators trust our students and parents to adapt, and the district will make this transition as smooth as possible.
Your individual school will provide additional information.
Have a safe and enjoyable summer.
