The eight-year-old ban on bringing cell phones to school ended on Monday after a Department of Education committee voted last week to repeal the ban, originally put in place under Michael Bloomberg. NY1's Roger Clark filed the following report.
Ocean Doncley took her cell phone with her to school on the Kennedy Campus in Marble Hill for the first time ever on Monday. But she had to follow strict rules.
"Keep it out of sight. They don't want to see the headphones in the ears. None of that,” said Doncley.
Monday was the first day students could bring their cell phones to class after the city's Education Department formally lifted the ban, which was put in place by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The new policy allows individual schools to set their own policy.
The ban was not popular with parents, who worried they could not contact their children, especially during the time just before and after school.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced the change in January.
"I feel a bit safer because I could always just call my mom if there is a problem, if there's an emergency,” said one student.
"If something happens to us, we’ll get in contact with our parents and we’ll let them know what happened and I think it's awesome,” said another.
Another positive for the students, many paid bodegas and curbside trucks a dollar a day to store their phones during the school day. So they say they will be glad to have that money back in their own pockets.
"I don't have nothing in my wallet. Look, I'm broke. I don't have to spend a dollar today,” said a student.
There is some concern about how safe the phones will be in school.
"I know a lot of phones are going to be stolen,” said Doncley.
"That might happen but we should all be mature enough not to do that. Because almost all of us have phones so I don't think there's no need for any violence to happen just because cell phones are being permitted into school,” said another student.
One student told NY1 that paying a dollar a day to store their phone doesn't seem like much, but it adds up. Her plan is to take the money she saves and buy a new pair of sneakers.