Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday dampened the prospect of a citywide ban on cell phones in schools, citing a number of remaining obstacles and saying the city is “not there yet.”

“There will be some measures in place next school year, but we are not ready to issue a complete ban. We want to make sure we have parents on board,” Adams said at a press conference Tuesday in response to a question from Chalkbeat.

“The previous administration tried this and had to backtrack,” Adams added, referring to an earlier cellphone ban introduced by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and then repealed by his successor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I don’t want to go back after we made a decision.”

Adams’ comments are a stark departure from the message that Schools Chancellor David Banks sent just a few months ago about the likelihood of a citywide ban on cell phones in schools.

“You will hear the big announcement in the next two weeks, but I can tell you that we are leaning very strongly towards banning cell phones,” Banks said on June 26th.

But with less than a week to go before the new school year begins, city officials have not announced any news, leaving many parents and school staff clamoring for details. Adams said the city is still in the process of finalizing a number of Subtleties that would complicate the introduction of a citywide ban on cell phones in schools.

“If you use the terminology that it’s a complete ban coming from the chancellor, there are a lot of things that will come into play, including (United Federation of Teachers),” Adams said Tuesday. “Who’s paying for the bags? What mechanism is being used? So we’ve done a lot of checks.”

Some educators and advocates have also questions raised about whether and how the Ministry of Education will offer schools disciplinary measures for students who do not follow the rules.

Several school principals are familiar with the Ministry of Education’s plans said Chalkbeat last month that education officials were considering a plan to have a ban take effect in February, although it is unclear whether that timeline is still under review.

States and districts across the country have decided to impose cell phone bans as concerns grow that cell phones distract students during class and harm children’s mental health. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is also is considering taking nationwide measures and is currently asking for contributions.

Los Angeles, the second largest school system in the country, recently decided to move forward with a district-wide ban on cell phones in schools.

Hundreds of New York City schools already have their own cellphone bans. Many use Yondr, a company that makes magnetized cloth bags that schools can lock and unlock so students can keep their phones in them during the school day. But such systems can be expensive, and one of the big open questions about a citywide cellphone ban is whether the city would provide schools with additional funding to help collect the phones.

Many other schools in the city that have not previously banned cell phones are in the process of implementing their own cell phone bans. However, enforcing these bans presents significant logistical challenges and staffing needs.

In order to enforce a system-wide ban on cell phones in schools, the Chancellor’s regulations would also have to be changed, which in turn requires the approval of the Education Policy Committee, according to a source familiar with the deliberations.

Adams said the city is trying to learn from the approaches of city schools, which have their own cell phone bans and enforce them effectively.

“We’re learning from those who are already doing it,” Adams said. “We have schools in the city that are doing it on their own, and so we want to make sure we do it right.”

Julian Shen-Berro contributed.

Michael Elsen-Rooney is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York covering New York public schools. Contact Michael at [email protected].