Niagara Falls Superintendent hoping cell phone in school policy is left to districts

Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) It's the biggest buzz of the summer when it comes to conversations between students, parents and teachers. Will cell phones in school be banned?

Governor Hochul brought her listening tour to Kenmore West Wednesday.
She said she's inclined to leave the decision to localities. But she added that she is being encouraged by teachers and superintendents to make it a statewide decision.

"I am such a big believer in local decisions," said Niagara Falls School Superintendent Mark Laurrie.

"There are nuances in every community in the state. What happens in Wilson is not the same as what happens in Niagara Falls. And I believe school boards are elected to make these kinds of decisions."

A ban for the upcoming school year is not on the table. State lawmakers, for one, are not due back in Albany until January to even begin considering legislation.

Laurrie welcomes the conversation. But adds, in a district like Niagara Falls, where the high school has two thousand students, it would be very challenging to implement and enforce.

"We've been able to do a really good job in grades Kindergarten through 8. Yes, I did say Kindergarten because 5 year olds have phones. But the bear starts to come out when you go to the high school and two thousand students are entering the doors with cell phones. I see it as a real difficult high school issue. It's going to take a lot of thought," he said.

How much are parents standing in the way of a ban?

Laurrie said parents have been telling him that they need to be in communication with their child.

His response was swift. "Number one, we never had phones in school before, and we were ok." He said there would still be a vehicle for parents to get in touch with their child.

"Number two, if God forbid, there were ever an incident where we had a lockdown or crisis, the last thing you would want are parents rushing to a school. They would not even be allowed to get close to a school. Police and First Responders would seal a perimeter far away from the school where no one could penetrate."

Laurrie wishes parents would spend as much time looking at what websites their children are on, than on pushing for in-school access.

Los Angeles County Schools have already voted to ban phones in schools, so has the state of Virginia starting this upcoming school year.