Overview

• New York City and districts statewide began collecting or locking students’ personal devices using Yondr pouches, lockboxes, caddies or lockers from arrival to dismissal.
• The law covers all internet‑enabled personal electronics, including phones, smartwatches and tablets, during homeroom, lunch, recess, study halls and passing time.
• Schools must provide a live phone line for families to reach students, with exceptions permitted for approved educational use, medical needs and emergencies.
• Early reports describe livelier cafeterias and better focus in some classrooms, while students and staff flag hurdles such as tech failures without phone backups and concerns that pouch-release tools can be bought online.
• City officials say plans will take weeks to stabilize; the DOE allocated about $25 million for storage and communication systems, and union leaders project smoother operations by around Thanksgiving.