Katy ISD staff briefed trustees on Policy Update 125 and related legislative changes during a July 21 work-study meeting, focusing on the state-mandated restriction on student use of personal communication devices and a local-policy decision to opt out of permitting homeschool students to participate in extracurricular activities.

Sherry Ashbourne, Director of Student Affairs, presented the package of legislative and local updates. She said the district is updating local policy language to align with several bills, including House Bill 1481 (personal communication devices) and other recent statutes. On the personal-device rule, Ashbourne told trustees the statutory language requires that students not “use a personal communication device on school property during the school day.” “So that is the specific language of the law,” she said, and added that the recommended practice for storage is in the student’s backpack while not in use.

Trustees asked how the district will communicate the change to families and what disciplinary consequences might apply if a device is used in violation of the law. Ashbourne said communications will include graphics, principal-level briefings, newsletters and meet-the-teacher events; consequences will follow the district's discipline management plan and will account for age and maturity of the student. She also noted the law includes provisions for students with Section 504 plans or IEPs who have medical needs and that the statutory definition of personal communication device includes smartwatches.

On extracurricular eligibility for nonpublic students, trustees discussed a state change that makes homeschool participation possible unless a district opts out. District administrators said they surveyed coaches, sponsors and athletic directors informally; athletics leadership and sponsors in Katy ISD “overwhelmingly” recommended opting out because coaches and sponsors were concerned that students not enrolled day-to-day in campus programs would make sustained program buy-in more difficult. Trustee questions raised equity concerns and noted that families who live in the district pay the same property taxes whether their children attend public schools, private schools or are homeschooled. Administrators said the board must adopt a local policy to opt out by the statutory deadline (the administration cited a September 1 deadline this year and an August 1 deadline in subsequent years) and explained that the matter will return to the board for a formal vote at the regular meeting.

Trustees and staff also discussed related posting and public-notice changes enacted in recent legislation; general counsel explained that the board will move some postings earlier in the week so documents are available to the public before Monday meetings. Staff said they will present the full policy language and related discipline-management updates for formal board consideration next week.

No final policy votes occurred at the work study; staff recommended the district proceed with the specified communications and bring policy/adoption items to the board agenda for formal action.