District Enacts Smartphone Ban and Announces Community Lunch Program at the High School

As most Scarsdale families are trying to enjoy the last few days of summer vacation, the Scarsdale School district is already hard at work preparing to welcome students back into their folds. Earlier this week, Scarsdale High School Principal Ken Bonamo extended a warm greeting to SHS families in an email which not only highlighted details about “new student orientations” taking place next week, but also important information in regards to some big changes at SHS in the 2025-26 school year.

As returning high school students will remember, at the end of the last school year SHS piloted a “Community Lunch” program which provided all students and faculty a common lunch time. The pilot’s incredible success encouraged SHS to adopt the program fulltime for the upcoming school year. As stated in his welcome letter, Bonamo explained,

“We are fully implementing the new community lunch schedule, in which all students and teachers eat at the same time every day. This change aims to improve energy and focus, strengthen relationships between students and faculty, and create more time for clubs and academic support. The new schedule, which received positive feedback during a pilot program, will be reviewed quarterly by the Schedule Committee for any necessary adjustments.”

Another change comes after a new state law was recently enacted by Governor Hochul requiring statewide, bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones in K-12 schools. While SHS had already implemented an “Off and Away For The Day” cell phone policy, Bonamo explained the more robust restrictions in his letter:

“In accordance with New York State law and Board of Education policy, students are prohibited from using internet-enabled devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches, at any time during the school day. Devices must be turned off and put away, including during lunch and passing time. Violations will lead to escalating consequences. Exceptions will be made for students with documented health or learning needs. Laptops and tablets may still be used for academic purposes, and teachers may authorize limited phone use in class. Lockers are available for storing devices.”

Bonamo also referenced a letter sent by Assistant Principal Christopher Griffin who further detailed the protocols and consequences for students who ignore the new rules. As he explains:

“A student who is using a smartphone or a smartwatch during the school day may be subject to disciplinary action. A student found to be in violation of this policy must give their device to a staff member upon request. The staff member will bring the device to the assistant principals’ office. For the first violation of the ban, the assistant principal will return the device to the
student at the end of the day with a warning. After a second violation, the student’s parent or guardian will be required to come to the school to retrieve the device. If there is another violation, the parent will have to retrieve the device and the student will serve two detentions. If the student continues to violate the policy, the school may require additional disciplinary consequences as outlined in our code of conduct.”

While students can’t use their devices to access things like social media during the school day, Mr. Griffin went on to describe that, “Tablets and laptop computers, which are internet-enabled, are often used by students during the school day to complete school work. Unless otherwise restricted by administration, students may use these devices on school grounds to complete academic assignments.”

Griffin ended his letter with the recognition that, “We understand that this will be a significant cultural change at the school. We are hopeful and optimistic that we can establish a climate where students are not distracted by their cell phones and smartwatches so as to better focus on their learning. If you have any questions or thoughts about the implementation of the new law, please feel free to reach out to me. Thank you in advance for your support.”

Though these are certainly significant changes for SHS students, many are expecting the shifts to have an incredibly positive impact on the school’s culture and strengthen its community in a variety of beneficial ways. For more information on the new New York State “Bell to Bell” law, see here.