Board reviews policy cleanups and new state requirements on cell phones, UIL participation and library materials

The Lubbock Independent School District Board of Trustees received a second reading of local policy cleanup updates (CASB updates 01/24 and 01/25) and a legislative briefing on new statutory requirements that must be implemented in district policy by Sept. 1.

The presentation, led by Misty Reber, chief academic officer, framed updates 01/24 and 01/25 as “cleanup sessions” that align local policy language with existing practice and state law. Reber said the updates revise comma placement, clarify which official may sign for financial designees, update intellectual property ownership, expand employee conduct language to cover nicotine and vaping devices, and align references to the dyslexia handbook and gifted-and-talented language.

Why it matters: several statutory changes from the 80th/89th legislative session require the district to change policy before the start of the school year. The board must adopt or resolve policy changes at public meetings; in some cases the law requires passing a resolution and then a policy in separate actions.

Key items described to trustees

- Cell phones (HB 1481): Reber said the district will follow the new law and already implements a “out of sight, turned off” rule during instructional time (bell to bell). Students receive a warning on a first infraction and phones are confiscated on a second. For elementary and middle school, parents must retrieve confiscated phones; at the high school…