HILTON, N.Y. — Governor Kathy Hochul’s state budget proposal allocates $13.5 million to help schools create smartphone storage solutions to cut down on clicking and scrolling during class. The continued push for a bell-to-bell ban on smartphone use in schools statewide has districts giving options a test run, including one in Monroe County. 

The Hilton CSD is looking at possibly using individual student pouches to keep cellphones zipped up for the day to try and cut down on distractions in class. The district did a trial run to collect feedback from students. 

What You Need To Know

  • New York is considering a bell-to-bell smartphone ban in schools statewide

  • The proposal includes $13.5 million in funding for schools to purchase cellphone storage equipment and create a plan

  • Any ban will require schools to give parents a way to contact kids during the day if needed

 For high school senior Helena Allocco, grabbing her cellphone first thing in the morning is part of her daily routine.

"I mainly text my parents, my boss and managers," said Allocco, a senior at Hilton High School.

For one week, Helena and other students voluntarily stored their cellphones away for the entire school day in a Hilton Cadet Honor Pouch, that’s zipped up and put away in their backpack.

"It wasn't too difficult. I mean, it definitely made me realize that I use my phone a lot more than I assumed that I would. Whether it's just checking notifications on my lock screen or logging in and responding and scrolling," Allocco said.

Natalie Kiser not only puts her cellphone away, she powers it down during school, so this honor pouch trial wasn’t a challenge at all.

"I wanted to build some good habits for college and not be on my phone as much," said Natalie Kiser, senior at Hilton High School.

Distraction-free learning is the goal. Hilton High School principal Jeff Green knows how disruptive and addictive cellphones are.

"I am reading this, 'The Anxious Generation,' and I am starting to see some of the statistics, and it is so alarming. Students just don't realize how quickly the time passes with the phone in their hand and how they're used to just reaching for it out of boredom or with the last couple minutes left in class when they are wrapping things up," said Green.

He’s getting plenty of comments from students taking part in this trial run of the cellphone pouches before deciding on a plan for next school year.

"This is something we are looking at if we were to take it schoolwide next year. It would be consistent and allow everybody to have the same approach to it. What we want to see is students are reflective enough to realize cellphones are not helping them and are more than a distractor. Every student in the trial is saying it is benefiting them to go without their phone," said Green.

Part of any school smartphone plan must give parents a way to contact their kids during the day if needed.