Beginning this college 12 months, college students in any respect Houston ISD campuses will now not be allowed to make use of their cell telephones throughout the college day as a consequence of a brand new state legislation.
HISD introduced its new mobile phone coverage Thursday and mentioned it will enable for a extra distraction-free studying setting. Based on the district, the coverage prohibits using all “private communication units.” This consists of cell telephones, good watches, tablets, headphones, earbuds, and another digital system that can be utilized for communication.
“College students might not use their system for any motive throughout the tutorial day,” HISD Chief of Faculties Sandi Massey mentioned in a video asserting the brand new coverage. “Which means no calls, texts, photographs, video recording, social media or web entry. Gadgets shouldn’t be seen or audible from the time a pupil arrives on campus till the final interval of the day is over. This consists of lunch and passing intervals.”
Massey mentioned college students are allowed to maintain their telephones powered off of their backpacks or in a delegated storage space throughout the college day.
The district mentioned the brand new coverage was created with a purpose to adjust to Home Invoice 1481, which was handed by the state Legislature earlier this 12 months. Based on HB 1481, public and open-enrollment constitution colleges should “undertake insurance policies prohibiting college students from utilizing private wi-fi communication units throughout tutorial time.”
HISD has included three ranges of disciplinary motion for college students who violate the brand new telephone coverage. The severity of punishment will increase with every extra violation of the coverage.
- 1st offense: The digital system is confiscated, and a father or mother/guardian can choose up the system from the workplace after college, the place the father or mother/guardian can evaluate the legislation and district coverage.
- 2nd offense: The system is confiscated, and the father or mother/guardian can choose the system up after one full college day.
- third offense: The system is confiscated, and the father or mother/guardian can choose the system up after two full college days.
The district mentioned that additional offenses will lead to “elevated formal disciplinary motion” and that HISD is just not liable for any misplaced, stolen or broken units confiscated as a consequence of a violation.
The brand new state legislation doesn’t define any particulars concerning punishment or disciplinary motion for violations of the legislation. Nonetheless, in line with the Texas Schooling Company (TEA) steering on HB 1481 compliance, districts should embrace disciplinary measures of their coverage and “might” confiscate a tool.
The TEA steering additionally permits districts to get rid of unclaimed confiscated gadgets 90 days after offering written discover to the coed’s father or mother or guardian.
HISD mentioned the brand new coverage solely consists of exceptions for permitted medical wants, a documented want primarily based on a directive from a professional doctor, or for permitted particular training wants.
The coverage doesn’t apply to district-owned units used for instructional functions.
Based on TEA, districts with compliant telephone insurance policies are eligible for a 2025-26 Telephone Free Faculties Grant program to pay for safe storage methods. The TEA was allotted $30 million to distribute to taking part colleges. The grant funding can be distributed primarily based on a course of that considers the precedence and faculty system rating of a campus.
On Friday, a Houston ISD spokesperson mentioned the district was exploring the potential of making use of for the grant program.
Different Houston-area college districts, akin to Humble ISD, Katy ISD, and Fort Bend ISD, are implementing, or have beforehand applied, related telephone insurance policies. The particular insurance policies differ for every district.
A TEA spokesperson instructed Houston Public Media Friday that “districts of innovation” aren’t topic to an exemption from HB 1481. Faculty districts with district of innovation standing can typically bypass sure state laws.
