August 4, 2025 Dear Putnam Valley Community, On July 21, 2025, the Putnam Valley Board of Education approved Policy 5695 titled “Students and Personal Electronic Devices” to ensure compliance with the newly enacted NYS Education Law §2803. This law requires that all public schools in NYS prohibit the use of internet-enabled devices during the entirety of each school day, with the hope that by removing said distractions, student engagement will increase, and the negative mental health issues associated with excessive smartphone usage will begin to decrease. The State gave each school district flexibility in how to enforce this bell-to-bell ban, and through collaboration with various stakeholders within the community, including, but not limited to, teachers, parents, students, administrators, and members of our support staff, Policy ...