Council Poised To Overturn Cell Phone Veto

The City Council is poised to overturn Mayor Bloomberg's veto of a bill to allow students to carry cell phones to and from school, in an effort to urge the Department of Education to back down from its ban on cell phones in schools.

A spokesman for the department, David Cantor, said there are no plans "to change our policy." He said the department has been "100% clear and consistent in our policy."

The bill's sponsor, Council Member Lewis Fidler of Brooklyn, said the bill strengthens the position of opponents to the cell phone ban. It states that "no person shall interfere" with the right of a student to use a cell phone "en route to and from school."

"If nothing else it is a statement of exasperation on behalf of tens of thousands of parents," he said. "I continue to hold out hope that they will get the message that their current policy just doesn't make sense in this day and age." Mr. Fidler said he expects the veto override to pass today with overwhelming support from council members.

The education department is in talks with a vendor about installing cell phone lockers for at certain schools as part of a possible pilot program, Mr. Cantor said.