Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York lawmakers have reached a deal on a $254 billion budget for the next fiscal year, which includes a proposal to ban cellphones in public schools, and a middle-class tax cut.

Starting this September, all school districts will have to implement policies that disconnect students from their devices from “bell to bell,” meaning kids won’t even have access

New York State officials announced a tentative agreement Monday on a $254 billion budget that will prohibit most kids from using cell phones during the school day, send rebate checks to middle-class families, loosen evidence-sharing expectations for prosecutors in criminal cases and create a new charge for wearing a mask while committing a crime.