Board adopts policy banning personal communication devices during school day to comply with HB1481

Comal ISD trustees unanimously adopted a policy Thursday implementing House Bill 1481’s requirement that school boards prohibit student use of personal communication devices on school property during the school day.

Korby Wunderlich, who presented the proposed language, said district procedures were developed to follow Texas Education Agency guidance and include suggested disciplinary measures and limited exemptions. Staff said the draft discipline language and handbook changes track TEA suggested wording and were vetted by campus administrators to ensure practical implementation.

Trustees and staff described the early rollout as smooth. Several board members said they had solicited feedback from students and parents and heard minimal pushback during the start of the school year. Trustee Tim Hennessy said high school students reported the policy was “long overdue” and that students were more engaged and interacting in person rather than focused on phones during events.

The board approved the FNCE-local policy and directed staff to adopt the model student handbook language implementing the prohibition and related disciplinary process. Trustees noted the district will monitor consistency across the district and said staff will provide ongoing updates on implementation challenges.