The City Council voted 46-2 Monday to override the mayor's veto of a bill that would have given students the right to carry cell phones to school.

Last week, the Public Safety Board voted six to nothing to override the bill, paving the way for the full council to the do the same this week. Supporters say the phones are an important way for students to keep in touch with their parents in case of emergency.

The new law allows kids to carry cell phones to and from school, but leaves it up to schools to figure out a way for that to happen without causing disruptions to the school day.

One lawmaker suggested one way to do that.

"Have them in a locker or a backpack turned off during school. If that policy is violated, call in the parent; a second time, donate the phone to charity," said Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn agreed.

"We think this bill appropriately puts the onus for creating that mechanism on the Department of Education,” said Quinn.

But the mayor, who wants a law banning cell phones at schools altogether, called the new law useless.

"It doesn't change anything,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “You’ve always had the right to take a phone to school, and take a phone from school. You just don’t have a right to take a cell phone into school and that’s not changing."

The mayor and his supporters have said the phones are distraction and that, furthermore, students can use the phones to cheat on tests.

His point was driven home when a reporter's phone went off during his press conference today.

"Our teachers have a tough enough job and uh... maybe that's a good example. Shame on you,” said the mayor. “Think about that. Do you really want your child's day interrupted many times?”

The DOE says it has a pilot program to install cell phone lockers outside 16 schools, but the project is delayed.

One lawmaker scoffed at the plan.

"What are we going to do have 3,000 lockers outside of the school with 3,000 students with cell phones?" said City Councilmember Lewis Fidler.

The new law takes effect in 90 days, just when a lawsuit brought by parents and civil rights attorney Norman Siegel pressing for kids to have the right to carry cell phones inside school have a November Appellate Court date.