Student Use of Personal Technology Policy Implementation Results
Ballston Spa Central School District’s Student Use of Personal Technology Policy follows New York State’s Distraction-Free Schools Law by implementing restrictions on student use of personal technology during the school day.
For students in grades K -12, cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other internet-connected devices may not be used from the first bell through the last bell. All devices are expected to be powered off and stored out of sight during the school day, including while students are in classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, cafeterias, and other school areas. The purpose of this policy is to minimize distractions, promote student focus and engagement, and maintain a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all students.
The following data summarizes the results of the District’s Student Use of Personal Technology Policy #7316 during the 2025–2026 school year.
Key insights from this data include:
- Peak in High School Grades: The number of incidents increases drastically starting in the 9th grade and peaks in the 10th grade with 225 total violators, followed closely by the 11th grade with 207 violators. In contrast, elementary and middle school grades show very low incident counts.
- Gender Distribution: Across all major high school grade levels, male students consistently represent a higher proportion of violators than female students. For example, in Grade 10, there are 154 male violators compared to 71 female violators.
- Concentration by Building: The vast majority of all recorded incidents (755 out of 826) took place at Ballston Spa High School, while Ballston Spa Middle School accounted for 65 incidents, and elementary schools had a negligible amount.
