Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Conduct Cell Phones topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews proposed cell-phone restrictions tied to pending Texas law; district prepared to adopt administrative regs
Summary
Godley ISD staff briefed trustees on House Bill 1481 and the district's proposed administrative regulations for student personal-communication devices during the school day; staff reported parent support from meetings and surveys and said the rules would remain flexible for medical needs and IEPs.
District staff told trustees they have drafted administrative regulations on student cell-phone use that would align with House Bill 1481 if the governor signs it.
"It's House Bill 1481," said a district staff presenter, explaining the bill requires school boards to adopt a policy that either prohibits personal communication devices on school property or designates a method for storing them during the school day. The staff presentation said TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) will provide recommended legal text and that districts will adopt local policy consistent with the statute.
Mr. Flood, the district administrator who led the briefing on cell-phone rules, said the district's parent meetings and an online presentation showed broad parental support for keeping phones on students but out of sight during instructional time. He said exemptions would include Individualized Education Programs and medical needs such as diabetic monitoring. "We want them to keep them on them just out of sight throughout the school day while we're doing school," Flood said, noting emergency contact concerns were considered in parent meetings and staff planning.
Flood told trustees staff had already surveyed teachers and school staff; he said approximately 95% of the staff who responded supported the approach. He recommended the administration incorporate the new legal text into current administrative regulations and present any required local policy to the board if and when the governor signs the bill and TEA/TASB publish model language.
Board members asked about accountability and enforcement. Flood said the cell-phone rule would be part of administrators' walkthroughs and classroom observations and that campus administrators expected to enforce the regulations consistently. Middle school staff said the practice of storing phones out of sight was not new on that campus and that students were used to it.
Trustees and staff agreed the item was for information; if the bill is signed, the administration expects to bring recommended policy language to a future board meeting for adoption.
