Julian Shen-Berro

Many New Yorkers want expanded pre-k programs. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Gov. Kathy Hochul will seek to limit cellphone use in New York schools, put guardrails on artificial intelligence, and more in 2025, according to proposed initiatives released ahead of her State of the State address on Tuesday.

Gov. Kathy Hochul will move to limit cellphone use in New York schools this year, she said during her annual State of the State address in Albany.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday proposed a $13.5 million plan to help districts implement a cellphone ban. Here, Hochul delivers her 2025 State of the State Address at the Hart Theater at Empire State Plaza in Albany, N.Y.

The proposal came Tuesday as Hochul presented her $252 billion 2026 state budget, which would send roughly $37.4 billion to schools across the state.

The money aims to help cover associated costs that districts might incur, such as paying for digital pouches that lock devices.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to limit student access to cellphones during the school day would require all New York City public schools to implement a ban on devices by the start of the next school year. Here, a student uses their cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day.

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New York City's fourth graders are showing signs of academic recovery in math, according to new data released Wednesday from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, a long-running exam.

New York City schools stand to lose nearly $350 million under Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed update to the state’s school funding formula, schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos told lawmakers at a budget hearing in Albany on Wednesday.