A message from the superintendent on the cellphone and internet-enabled device policy

Dear Liberty families,

As you may be aware, New York State passed a law prohibiting students from accessing cellphones and internet-enabled-devices during the school day on school property, with few exceptions.

The law was passed to help reduce distractions and increase student engagement, as well as support student mental health.

We have created a policy and have a plan in place to address this issue. The full policy and plan can be found on our website.

The policy states that, unless there is an approved exception, middle school and high schools students must silence their phones and store them and other prohibited devices in their lockers. We discourage our elementary students from bringing devices to school, but if they do, the devices must be stored in their cubbies.

Students will have access to their school-provided Chromebooks and other devices.

We understand parents and guardians need to be able to reach their students during the school day. Students and their parents and guardians can communicate via the district-provided email or via phone at their schools main office.

If a student is found with a prohibited device, the student will be asked to place the device in their locker or cubby. A second offense will result in the device being stored in the main office, with a parent or guardian notified and the student able to retrieve their device at the end of the school day. A third and subsequent offence will result in the phone being stored at the main office and a parent or guardian must retrieve the device. Further offenses will result in the devices being stored at the office daily for longer periods of time.  Administrators will also discuss the goal of the policy with students and their parents or guardians, the benefits of a distraction-free environment, the reasons the student had difficulty following this policy, and how the district can help the student contribute to a distraction-free environment. Students will not be suspended based solely on violation of this policy. However, the district may use consequences under the district’s Code of Conduct, including detention, in-school suspension and exclusion from extracurricular activities. Assignments on the detrimental impact of social media on mental health, smartphones in school, or other relevant topics may also be issued.

The district will also monitor enforcement of the policy and publish an annual report beginning in September 2026.

We appreciate the feedback provided by families earlier this year. To address some of the questions and concerns raised, a FAQ sheet is available on the district website. The issue will also be addressed at our annual back-to-school community forum, which will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, outside the High School Library.

If you have questions, please look over the FAQs, attend the forum or email questions@libertyk12.org.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Superintendent