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Gov. Kathy Hochul will move to limit cellphone use in New York schools this year as part of a broader education agenda focused on improving student mental health, expanding opportunities for early college, and more.
The inclusion of a school cellphone policy in the governor’s 2025 agenda — outlined ahead of Hochul’s annual State of the State address on Tuesday — comes as no surprise. For months, Hochul has expressed concerns over student cell phone use, citing its potentially harmful effects on learning and mental health.
But the governor did not reveal further details about what a statewide cellphone ban in schools might look like in practice — or mention her cellphone proposal at all during her State of the State speech. However, her office released nearly 140 pages of proposed initiatives ahead of the address — with one proposal noting the specifics of her cellphone policy would be included in her executive budget later this month.
Much of the focus in Hochul’s proposals and State of the State address centered on affordability — a major theme in Mayor Eric Adams’ State of the City address last week.
“Many New Yorkers are struggling,” she said. “Inflation. Sky-high rents. Wages that just don’t feel like they can’t keep up. A changing economy. An influx of unexpected arrivals with great needs.”
But the fine print of Hochul’s proposed cellphone policy wasn’t the only thing absent in the governor’s education proposals. Her initiatives did not directly address a few key education issues, including ongoing efforts to update the state’s school funding formula and concerns from local and state officials over the threat of federal funding cuts from President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
And though education was not the focal point of her 2025 agenda, Hochul’s proposals included expanding opportunities for high school students to take college-level classes, imposing guardrails on artificial intelligence-powered chatbots, rolling out mental health first aid training for teens, and more.
Specifics of state cellphone policy still unclear
New York is one of many states and school districts across the country that has considered adopting or taken steps to limit student cellphone use in schools.
Some state lawmakers previously told Chalkbeat that there’s general support in Albany to take action on student cellphone use, but any statewide policy should leave decisions in the hands of school districts.
In New York City, former schools Chancellor David Banks seemed poised to implement a citywide ban last year before Adams intervened. Instead, the Education Department has been working with the Health Department to conduct a study on best practices for cellphone use in schools.
Though Adams has expressed hesitancy over adopting a systemwide policy, he said last month that the city would comply with any state mandate.
State funding for early college programs
This year, Hochul wants to establish a “College in High School Opportunity Fund,” seeking to build institutional support for the model, which provides high school students with a chance to take college courses and receive additional mentorship opportunities while earning their diplomas.
Across the country and the state, the model has seen success at improving college matriculation rates and other measures of academic achievement among high school students. For example, participants in the City University of New York’s Early College program — which partners with 19 public middle and high schools across the five boroughs — graduated on time from the network’s colleges at higher rates than their peers.
Meanwhile, more than three-quarters of students in the early college program graduated high school with college credits and enrolled in higher education, according to CUNY. At one local school — Kingsborough Early College Secondary School in Brooklyn — more than 65% of graduates in 2023 left high school with an associate degree.
Hochul’s proposal seeks to create a consistent source of funding for early college programs. The program will be free for all students and focus on helping those with high economic need earn college credits, according to state officials.
In New York City, some schools are already using the model to help students prepare for higher education. And developing more opportunities for students to earn early college credits has been part of the city’s broader effort in recent years to bolster career and college readiness among young people.
Hochul also proposed other changes to expand college access, including making community college free for students between the ages of 25 and 55 who go on to work in high-demand fields after graduation — including education.
Protections against AI-powered chatbots, misinformation
During her State of the State address, Hochul raised concerns over the dangers posed by “harmful AI bots posing as friends.”
She warned warned that models that simulate human companionship could push users to form unhealthy relationships with the technology — potentially exacerbating mental health issues and pervasive loneliness among young people.
Hochul will propose legislation requiring AI companies to implement safety features, including protections against self-harm and built-in reminders that users are interacting with machines, according to state officials.
And in a bid to foster media literacy skills in young people and defend against misinformation, she will direct the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to develop a guide for teachers — equipping educators with age-specific examples — as well as resources for parents and a public education campaign.
Expanded youth mental health programs, child care, and more
Hochul’s proposals also included new initiatives to improve youth mental health, a major focus of her education agenda last year.
Among her proposals are a teen mental health first aid program to train high school students in supporting themselves and their peers, an effort to connect licensed health care facilities with after-school programs to expand resources for students, and the development of “safe spaces for youth” where young people can access behavioral health support.
During her speech, Hochul vowed to dedicate $110 million to building and renovating child care centers, as well as to establish “a corps of substitute child care professionals so someone’s always on call.”
Hochul also proposed constructing new playgrounds and developing further opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular, recreational, and volunteer activities.
“To truly free our kids from social media we must give them safe places to simply be kids,” she said. “It’s just common sense.”
Julian Shen-Berro is a reporter covering New York City. Contact him at jshen-berro@chalkbeat.org.
