The much-discussed, much-debated and parentally panned school cell phone ban is a near non-issue for most students through the first few weeks of the school year.

Proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and approved by the state Legislature, the new school cellphone policy creates a statewide standard for distraction-free schools in New York including no unsanctioned use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds in K-12 schools for the entire school day, including classroom time and other settings like lunch and study hall periods; allowed schools to develop their own plans for storing smartphones during the day; included $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage solutions to help them go distraction-free; and required schools to give parents a way to contact their kids during the day when necessary.

Early returns discussed during school board meetings held recently show few major issues. School officials, including student board members, have largely reported that the ban is working as Hochul intended, with students spending more time interacting with each other and being less distracted in class.

That doesn’t mean issues haven’t come up. Clymer, for example, reported issues with deciding when a smart watch is just a watch or a connected device or ear buds that are required for some classes and not for others. And, Clymer officials said some students are trying to push limits to see what they can get away with. But the ban also doesn’t seem to be leading to an open revolt among school students. Quite the contrary, student school board members say they are talking more to classmates they haven’t spoken with much over the years and interacting more without the presence of a screen in their hand.

It’s only been three weeks, and we haven’t had a major emergency involving Chautauqua County schools. But the fact that there has been no real news about the cell phone ban so far this year is good news.