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Ysleta ISD keeps student phone access at lunch, clarifies instructional and emergency exceptions
Summary
After reviewing state guidance, the board approved district policy allowing high school students who remain on campus to use phones during lunch, prohibiting use during instructional and passing periods, and permitting phones during emergencies and certain authorized instructional activities.
The Ysleta Independent School District board approved updates to its personal telecommunications and electronic devices policy on Aug. 27, clarifying when students may use personal phones on campus.
Superintendent Dr. De La Torre and Chief Counsel Priscilla Mata said the policy reflects recent state law and Texas Education Agency guidance while trying to balance classroom instruction, equity across campuses and student safety. Mata said the district carved out the lunch period as a permitted time for high school students who remain on campus and that “a school emergency would allow any student to use their phone then and there.”
Under the policy as presented and approved, phones must be put away during instructional periods and passing periods; the district will not attempt to enforce a campus‑by‑campus ban during lunch. The policy also includes limited exceptions allowing personal devices for authorized instructional activities (for example, dual‑enrollment or Go Center work that requires multifactor authentication) and for official emergencies.
Trustees sought clarity about implementation. Trustee Connie Woodruff asked whether lunch‑period use is limited to cafeterias; Dr. De La Torre said the policy does not restrict lunch‑period use to the cafeteria because enforcement resources are limited and schools could not fairly treat students differently if some leave campus. Mata recommended district leadership communicate the policy consistently to principals and campus staff to avoid uneven enforcement.
Formal action: the board voted 7‑0 to postpone two specific policy items for additional review (agenda items 9.2 and 9.4 as adjusted in the meeting) and then approved the remaining policy items as recommended by administration. The board also directed staff to provide clearer campus guidance and to revise the student code of conduct and related materials to align with the policy.
Administration said it will provide principal briefings and leadership‑level guidance so campuses enforce the policy consistently and will circulate the revised student code of conduct and bring any further clarifying language back to the board if needed.
