Statewide cellphone ban coming to NY schools
By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
New York state public schools will implement a “bell to bell” cellphone ban starting in the 2025–26 school year, following a tentative agreement between Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers.
The ban is part of the state’s $254 billion fiscal 2026 budget, which was finalized last month, but as of press time, not approved.
Schools will no longer allow smartphones and other electronic devices during classes or free periods such as lunch and study hall.
Debbi Sheinin, president of the Hewlett-Woodmere Board of Education, said that while the board has not yet discussed the ban, she believes it will benefit students both in and out of the classroom.
“While I’m not speaking on behalf of the Board of Education, I personally support the decision to ban cell phones in schools,” Sheinin said. “In my view, phones can be a significant source of distraction during the school day and often interfere with students’ ability to stay present and engaged. I also think they can contribute to unnecessary anxiety and disruptions, both socially and academically.”
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A “bell to bell” cellphone ban will be implemented at the start of the 2025-26 school year.
on the governor’s website. “Using the insights from my statewide listening tour, this comprehensive proposal to restrict smartphone use in schools will ensure that New York’s statewide standard for distraction-free learning delivers the best results for our kids and educators.”
Hochul gave an overview of the proposal in late January, which also mentioned prohibiting other devices, such as smartwatches. She also discussed exceptions to the ban for students who might require a device to manage a medical condition.
The ban also requires schools to ensure parents can reach their children during the day — a key concern among critics.
State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick agreed with Hochul that cellphones can be a distraction and expressed her support for the schoolwide ban.
The plan would make the state the largest in the country with a “bell to bell” cellphone ban.
Hochul said the ban will reduce classroom distractions and that limiting young students’ exposure to addic-
The budget allocates roughly $13.5 million for schools to purchase storage options for cellphones, including cubbies, pouches or lockers.
tive technology will support better mental health.
“From parents and teachers, to social justice and law enforcement leaders, New Yorkers agree that our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement
“As a parent and policymaker, I believe we all share a common goal: ensuring our schools are safe, focused environments where students can thrive,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “While I understand that smartphones have become an everyday part of life, I support reasonable restrictions on cell phone use during the school day.”
Have an opinion on the state cellphone ban? Send a letter to mberman@ liherald.com.
Woodsburgh native self-publishes coming-of-age story
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
The Five Towns has a new local author as Nina Kentsis has self-published her first book, “Acts of Lovingkindness.”
Kentsis, 47, received her bachelor’s in literature and French from Duke University and went on to graduate school at Columbia University where she studied business.
The Woodsburgh native’s passion for writing started in fourth grade when she read “Welcome to Dweeb Club” by Betsy Uhrig.
“Writing has definitely been one of my biggest passions since fourth grade, I’ve written a number of stories, screenplays and “Acts of Lovingkindness: is my first novel,” Kentsis said.
“Acts of Lovingkindess” is a young adult novel that is about a girl named Francie who starts her first year of high school in the mid 1990s and falls in love for the first time. While also dealing with the absence of her older brother who has been recovering from drug addiction in Brooklyn with family members.
“It’s a little bit based on my own life and originally I thought about writing it as a screenplay, it didn’t really work because so much of it is going on in the main character’s mind, so I went to try it out as a novel” Kentsis said.
She started writing her novel in November 2022, taking part in National Novel Writing Month. Kentsis had to
has published her first book “Acts of Lovingkindness.”
write the first 50,000 words of the book in that month.
“I wrote the 50,000 words and kept going and then I had a couple of different drafts and started refining it, editing it and adding in a lot more detail, layers and flashbacks,” she added.
Kentsis decided to self-publish because she didn’t want to wait for a publishing company to pick it up and then schedule a later publication date.
“Acts of Lovingkindness” published on April 15 and is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop and in select bookstores in Manhattan and Queens.
Her book published on April 15 and is currently available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop and in select bookstores in Manhattan and Queens.
Her friends and family received early copies of the book to review and provide opinions.
Halley Agnello, a friend for the past 30 years, was a prominent draft reviewer and sounding board for Kentsis.
“I was so impressed, I had read her
short stories in college and a screenplay and had always like her style of writing and voice,” Agnello wrote in an email. “This, however, was such an elevation of that. Nina had kept what made her short stories so readable, while deepening the attachment a reader has to her characters’ journeys in the novel form.”
Angello said that she was immersed in the story as soon as the first page and couldn’t put the book down.
“I didn’t expect to be so drawn in and found myself staying up late to read it,” she wrote. “I immediately felt immersed in the story and was rooting for Francie. I was so impressed with how authentic Francie’s voice felt.”
One of Kentsis’s biggest supporters is her mother, Jane Shapiro. She is also a writer and shard her wisdom with her daughter.
“When she told me she was writing this novel, I was so excited,” Shapiro said. “When it came out, thought the cover was very eye catching. It’s also very nostalgic in certain ways.”
Kentsis designed the cover herself and spent time perfecting the feel of the book.
“I am extremely proud of Nina and I know that she poured her heart and soul into this book,” Shapiro said.
To buy “Acts of Lovingkindess” on Amazon, Amazon.com/Acts-Lovingkindness-Nina-Kentsis/dp/B0DYGKPMGK Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you
Photo courtesy Nina Kentsis Woodsburgh native, Nina Kentsis
