Letter from Superintendent Tomlinson: "Bell to Bell, No Cell"

Dear Broadalbin-Perth parents, students, faculty, and staff,

As you may or may not be aware, many school districts in our region and across the country have adopted and implemented policies prohibiting students from using cellphones during the school day. Our Board of Education is considering adopting a similar policy for Broadalbin-Perth. Specifically, what is under consideration is a revision to the student code of conduct that would prohibit student use of personal cell phones during school hours — or, as we’re calling it, “Bell to Bell, No Cell.”

There are many reasons for this proposed change, not least of which is concern that technology and social media are negatively affecting the mental health of our young people. There has been a growing call to make schools “phone-free experiences” from many corners of our society, including U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of the best-selling book “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also proposed a statewide ban on cellphone use by students in public schools that is expected to be taken up by the state legislature in 2025.

In recent years, we have observed students who are distracted by their phones in class and lack focus when completing assignments. Student gathering places, including the cafeteria, are quiet and subdued as individuals scroll on their phones rather than interact with their peers. This is not the kind of school environment we want in Broadalbin-Perth.

We also recognize that the distraction of technology is a complicated issue that won’t be solved with a change in district policy. Our young people are addicted to technology, and for many this new phone-free environment will be difficult to adapt to. For that reason, in addition to enforcing the policy, we are committed to teaching our students to be good digital citizens and to have a healthy relationship with the technology that is so much a part of our modern society.

That being said, there is no gray area in this policy. From the moment the school day begins until it ends, student phones must be turned off and put away. Phones are not to be seen or used, even during passing times, study halls, or lunch time.

While many other schools in our area are employing Yondr pouches as a means to physically lock phones away during the school day, we have chosen not to go directly to such a system. We trust our students to do the right thing, and we believe the vast majority of them will. That being said, we will issue Yondr pouches to students who repeatedly violate this policy.

Although the Board of Education will not officially vote on a revised student code of conduct until Sept. 16, we will begin the school year with our “Bell to Bell, No Cell” policy in effect for all students, pre-K through grade 12. We will discuss this policy and review expectations with students in grades 7-12 during the first two days of school. As for our elementary students, my message to parents is simple: If your child has a cellphone, keep it at home.

I understand that many of you may have questions or concerns about this policy, and we want to hear from you. I invite you to visit our website to submit your feedback between now and Sept. 15. I also invite you to learn more during a public presentation scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 in the Margaret Robin Blowers Auditorium. For planning purposes, we request that you RSVP through ParentSquare or by emailing Director of Communications Michele Kelley at kelleym@bpcsd.org. Please RSVP no later than Monday, Sept. 9 if you plan to attend that presentation.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I hope you and your family enjoy these last few weeks of the summer before we welcome our students back to school on Sept. 5.

Sincerely,

Stephen M. Tomlinson
Superintendent of Schools