Public School Students Return with New Phone Rules and Updated OMNY Cards

By Y.M. Lowy

Public schools across Brooklyn reopen tomorrow for the start of the new school year. Students will return to classrooms under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new law requiring “bell-to-bell” restrictions on cellphones, meaning phones cannot be used during the school day except for emergencies or health needs.

For the new semester, students will also receive a brand-new OMNY card. The updated design adds splashes of orange, blue, and yellow to the original green card, making it easy for students, schools, and MTA staff to see that the card is valid for this school year. Unlike the MetroCard it replaced, the student OMNY card can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with up to four free rides per day.

Officials are also emphasizing safety outside the classroom. Drivers are reminded to slow down in school zones, stop for buses with flashing red lights, and keep their own phones down while driving.