With a new ban on cell phones in schools looming this fall, the Pelham Board of Education has begun to grapple with the tricky question of how to implement the policy. On June 11, the board heard from a subcommittee which made several recommendations, including having students store their phones in their lockers. Pelham will introduce the “bell to bell” policy starting this fall as part of a mandate from the New York State Department of Education. The policy will ban the use of cellular devices in school from the first bell of the day to the last.
Current policy in the Pelham Public School District forbids the use of cell phones during instructional time except for pre-approved medical or instructional purposes. During the 2024-2025 school year, students had to put their cellular devices into calculator holders during classes.
In the fall of 2024, the board formed a Digital Device Committee, led by high school principal Sean Llewellyn and consisting of staff, administrators, students, and parents, to explore the limits of cellphone use. Everyone on the committee was assigned to read The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. The book has driven a lot of discussion about cellphone use in schools – especially at the state level. Haidt argues that from 2010 to 2015, widespread use of cell phones led to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and self-harm among adolescents. Further, Haidt contends that the shift towards a “phone-based childhood” has fundamentally altered teen development. He argues that since teenage brains are still developing, the heavy use of mobile devices and social media make teens more susceptible to online social comparisons and validation-seeking behaviors. Haidt asserts that the sudden transition from “play-based childhood” to “phone-based childhood” has deprived children of experiences such as unstructured play, in-person conflict resolution, and competence in social settings.
The Digital Device Committee considered Haidt’s conclusions when discussing concerns such as student attentiveness, access to cellphones during emergencies, and student autonomy. According to a survey administered to students, teachers and parents, the feedback was mixed, with some individuals demonstrating support for stronger student cell phone oversight while others showed support for student’s self-regulation of such use.
In a 50-minute presentation, Llewellyn walked the board through his committee’s work over the past year and presented a series of options for how and where to store high school students’ phones starting in September. He discussed a number of options, including the use of Yondr pouches, which can be leased at an average cost of $25 to $30 per student, and the installation of special phone lockers, which range in price from $5 per student for the most basic model to $100 per student for a luxe version that includes a phone charger in each compartment.
His recommendation was for students to store the phones in their own lockers, since most students don’t actually use their lockers for books. The high school currently has 850 lockers for 890 students, but it wouldn’t be difficult to accommodate the 40 students without access to lockers, Llewellyn said, given that most seniors don’t use their lockers at all.
“I would encourage you to not use potential cost as a reason not to try something,” said board of education Trustee Will Treves following Llewellyn’s presentation. “We find money frequently, we raise money frequently, to support these cases that improve the lives of our students. ”
“I want us to also be open to pivoting,” said board vice president Natalie Marrero. “I understand the proposal now is to use lockers but, in case that doesn’t work I want us to be open-minded… If the original policy fails, the Board of Education will reassess the situation and come up with a new plan.”
Llewellyn said his committee plans to reach out to all school parents in late June and again in August to keep them apprised of what to expect in the fall.
At the June 11 meeting, the board also recognized 17 retirees, who were introduced with a warm farewell from School Superintendent Cheryl Champ. “We all know how much your presence will be missed,” said Champ. “And the beauty of a career in education is that your journey doesn’t end here, and that seeds you planted will continue to grow.” Retirees were then listed by Trisha Nugent Fitzgerald, director of human resources. The list is as follows:
- Claire Cavalli, 2nd grade teacher
- Karen Pascarella, teaching assistant
- Pasqua Perrino, secretary to the principal
- Gail Sider, 4th grade teacher
- William Chimento, 8th grade English teacher
- Brian Battersby, 8th grade technology teacher
- Scott Brown, middle school guidance counselor
- Maria Buckley, 6th grade science teacher
- Daniel Friel, 6th grade math teacher
- Anna Brown, high school Spanish teacher
The Board of Education also recognized the outstanding achievements of a Pelham Memorial senior, Kira Findikyan. As a part of the science research program at Pelham Memorial High School, Findikyan created a project that focused on ways to cure a pediatric virus. She presented her work at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio.
“None of this could’ve been possible without all of you,” Findikyan said at the meeting, referring to her science teachers including Lori Tortorella, Stephen Beltecas, Maria Buckley, Joseph DiBello and Sabrina Scaccio.
