HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The Huntsville Independent School District Board of Trustees on a special-called vote approved the district's 2025'26 student code of conduct, adopting new procedures to conform the district to Texas House Bill 6 and House Bill 1481.

The board approved the item after a presentation from district administrators Jimmy Forney and Marcus Campbell, who told trustees the updated code expands administrators' disciplinary options under HB 6 and establishes a district approach to personal communication devices under HB 1481. "Teachers have the right to teach, students have the right to learn," Forney said, summarizing the intent of HB 6 to give educators clearer authority and defined processes for disruptive behavior.

The change matters because HB 6 and HB 1481 alter how districts handle classroom disruptions and student devices statewide. Forney and Campbell said the district engaged legal counsel and other districts, held Chapter 37 training for leaders, and consulted the Thompson & Horton and Walsh & Gallegos law firms as well as the Strive Policy Group and TAPT/TxASB resources as it drafted procedures.

Under the adopted code, the district will:
- Allow students to bring personal communication devices (defined by the state to include cell phones, smartwatches, tablets and devices capable of digital communication, including earbuds/AirPods) to campus but require devices to be secured and stowed during the instructional day (defined by the district as arrival time through the last bell; 7:20 a.m. secondary, 7:40 a.m. elementary).
- Establish a disciplinary continuum for device violations that includes staged responses culminating in parent pick-up (the current draft schedules parent pick-up on the fifth violation; trustees discussed moving that point earlier).
- Implement an extended in-school suspension (ISS) process aligned with HB 6, including documentation, a progress-monitoring tool and an opportunity for formal review every 10 days before ISS placement continues beyond that mark.
- Permit out-of-school suspension for pre-K through grade 2 only in serious cases where a student presents an immediate danger or persistently disrupts learning, per the statute.

Campbell noted research cited in the presentation that mobile-device use in classrooms reduces learning gains and said HB 1481 is intended to "minimize distractions, improve student learning, and foster a safe learning environment." He described exceptions for students with Individualized Education Programs, 504 plans or medical needs and said the district will provide district-owned devices or accommodations where required.

Board members and staff discussed implementation details at length. Administrators told trustees they will provide campus-level guidance, designate one campus coordinator per campus to manage compliance, and equip high-school classrooms with storage boxes that hold up to 30 devices to support consistent practice across teachers. The district began parent communications about the change on June 19 and plans further messaging after board approval.

Trustees raised operational concerns: several asked how campus front offices and transportation will handle substantially increased parent calls when students cannot use phones; Jens (JT) staff and principals were asked to ensure phones are manned and that staffing be adjusted for peak times. Board President Holland warned the transition will create "bumps and bruises" as families and staff adjust, noting the district lost a prior administrative tool (a fee for device retrieval) in recent state guidance.

Trustees also questioned elements of the disciplinary sequence. One trustee asked whether the district should require parent involvement earlier than the current fifth-violation threshold; administrators said the continuum was chosen in part because state law limits districts' enforcement options and removed earlier administrative fee authority. Administrators acknowledged they would revisit some thresholds as they monitor implementation.

On ISS capacity, administrators told the board the district has adequate space should ISS placements increase; they emphasized the intention to keep ISS instruction-focused and to reintegrate students to general education when appropriate. The board discussed the lack of DAEP placements in the district and the importance of monitoring that ISS does not become a long-term classroom alternative.

The board voted to approve the code after discussion; Trustee Langley moved the motion and Trustee Burris seconded. The clerk recorded the item as passed.

The district will continue to refine campus protocols, communicate with families, and monitor staffing needs for front offices and transportation as implementation begins in the 2025'26 school year.