New Texas law pushes Coastal Bend schools to ban cell phones in schools

Yahoo

4 days ago

After Texas lawmakers took action to keep students off their cell phones during the school day, Coastal Bend schools are grappling with how to enforce the law.
From locked device pouches to school day bans, here's how some area schools are approaching personal student devices in the 2025-26 academic year.
The Corpus Christi Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using devices during the school day on July 28, though the district has yet to announce specifics, including what the consequences will be if students disobey.
If a student violates the policy, the district will confiscate the device.
State law lays out two ways for school districts to comply: Either school districts can prohibit students from bringing devices onto school property, or districts can designate a method for storing a student's personal device during the school day.
Corpus Christi ISD opted for the second method, with the district's new policy stating that while on school property students shall store any personal communication device 'in accordance with administrative regulations.'
What exactly this means is not yet clear. The school board is expected to approve updates to the Student Code of Conduct outlining implementation of the policy during a future meeting ahead of the start of school on Aug. 11.
However, district staff indicated during the meeting that the designated storage method might be as simple as requiring that any personal device be powered down and put away in the student's backpack.
This is a slightly stricter approach to student cell phones than has previously been implemented in Corpus Christi ISD, though the district has made moves to limit student devices before.
Last year, the district mandated that elementary and middle school students keep any devices turned off and put up during the entire school day, while high school students were required to keep their devices off and away during class. High school students were allowed to use their devices during lunch and between classes last year.
Now, school staff should not see or hear a student's cell phone during the school day — not during class time or any other part of the school day, including lunch and passing periods.
Gregory-Portland ISD
The Gregory-Portland Independent School District is taking a different approach. Last week, the district announced that it is introducing pouches to securely store devices during the school day.
At the middle and high school campuses, students will be issued a CellockED pouch. At the elementary level, pouches will be used as needed.
Students will put their devices in their sealed pouch each morning. At the end of the day, they will be able to unlock their pouches. Students who check out of school early will be able to unlock their pouch at the front office.
The pouches can be unlocked at designated unlock stations on campus. The pouches are unsealed using magnets, similar to security tags used at retail stores, according to the district.
According to a district informational webpage, magnets will also be mounted in strategic locations across campus so that students can access their devices in case of an emergency. There is also a phone capable of dialing 911 in each classroom.
Parents can communicate with their child during the school day by contacting the front office.
Gregory-Portland ISD has created a video explaining the new policy. The video and more information about the policy are available online at g-pisd.org/district-info/house-bill-1481.
Flour Bluff ISD
Other districts, like the Flour Bluff Independent School District, are still considering their policies, with plans to share updated guidelines before the start of the school year.
'As we review the new legislation in full, we want to reassure our community that many of the bill's guidelines are already reflected in current district practices,' Flour Bluff ISD Superintendent Chris Steinbruck said in a letter to families. 'However, we are taking this opportunity to assess and refine campus-level procedures to ensure consistency and full compliance across all grade levels.'
Tuloso-Midway ISD
The Tuloso-Midway Independent School District has already started the 2025-26 school year, but hasn't yet taken action in response to the new legislation.
Tuloso-Midway ISD Superintendent Steve VanMatre said in an email that the district began the school year under the 2024-25 policy and is currently receiving guidance on the policy. Staff will make a recommendation to the school board on Aug. 18.
The new legislation has not arrived without some opposition.
A Flour Bluff ISD student started a petition, which has since closed, with several signers expressing enjoyment of digital socialization and concerns about communicating during emergencies.
But Texas public schools are bound by state law.
What the Texas law says
House Bill 1481, governing student use of personal communication devices in public and open-enrollment charter schools, was approved by both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate this spring. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into law in late June.
The law defines personal communication devices as phones, including smartphones and flip phones, tablets, smartwatches, radio devices, paging devices or any electronic device capable of telecommunication or digital communication.
Excluded from the law are any school-issued electronic devices. Schools across the state provide students with electronic devices for educational purposes. Corpus Christi ISD students use Chromebooks.
But public and charter school students are prohibited from using personal communication devices on school property during the school day.
However, there is an exception for students with disabilities if a device is needed to implement their individualized education program plan and for students with a documented need as determined by a qualified physician or if it is necessary to comply with a health or safety requirement.
The law doesn't apply to adult education programs.
Over the past two years, some parents and educators in the Coastal Bend community have raised the alarm about the impact smartphones can have on children's mental health, as well as on maintaining a productive educational environment.
Back to school: What to know about calendars, resources and new rules in Corpus Christi
From the brink of extinction, wintering whooping crane counts rise
Nueces County examines fraud risk, irregularities from former county auditor's office
Can AI predict flooding? A&M-Corpus Christi project focuses on Oso Creek
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas law pushes Coastal Bend schools to ban cell phones in schools
Solve the daily Crossword