Bryan ISD board adopts 2025–26 Student Code of Conduct, implements statewide ban on personal communication devices

The Bryan ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve the district—9s Student Code of Conduct for the 2025—6 school year, including the statewide ban on student use of personal communication devices during the school day. The motion was made on the floor and carried with boardmembers voting in favor; the board recorded the result as unanimous with five votes in favor and two members absent.

Board action implements House Bill 1481, signed by the governor in June, and a district policy (FNC local) the board approved in July. The law requires districts to adopt a policy restricting use of personal communication devices during the school day; TEA guidance allows documented medical exceptions and gives districts latitude on how devices are secured.

District staff described a staged, campus-level enforcement plan that takes effect the first day of school, August 13. Under the plan, devices that are capable of electronic communicationincluding cell phones, smart watches, earbuds, tablets and laptopsmust be kept off the student—9s person and secured during the school day (bell to bell), including between classes, lunch and field trips. Staff and teachers are exempt and may use devices for approved instructional or operational purposes; medical exceptions must be documented by a physician and placed in a student—9s 504 plan or IEP.

Leslie Holtkamp, district staff leading implementation work with campus principals, said the district will emphasize education and progressive consequences. "Our goal is that we don't have to take a student phone," Holtkamp said. She outlined a typical sequence: a first documented warning, a second/third incident where the device is collected and returned to the student after school (a verified sign-out within a short pickup window), and by the fourth or fifth incident a parent must pick up the device. Repeated offenses beyond that point may result in after-school detention or in-school suspension (ISS).

The district clarified specific items in the code of conduct that reflect recent state law changes and administrative practice: out-of-school suspension remains capped at three days; ISS is no longer subject to a statutory cap and must now be reviewed by the principal or appropriate administrator at least once every 10 school days to assess progress and continued placement; and possession or use of a nicotine-delivery device (vape/e-cigarette) may trigger placement in a Discipline Alternative Education Program (DAEP) for a first offense, or at minimum a 10-school-day ISS placement if DAEP is not used. District staff emphasized that the nicotine rule reflects state legislative changes, not local board preference.

District administrators also noted that state law removed the prior statutory authority to charge a fine for confiscated devices; the district confirmed it will not assess fees for confiscation. Campuses will secure collected devices in locked locations (safes, locked cabinets) and the district said it will not accept liability if a device is lost or damaged while secured. For emergencies, administrators said students may access devices when a true emergency exists.

Board members and campus principals stressed that the implementation plan includes parent communication materials and in-school training. Campus teams plan assemblies and class meetings the first week of school; principals said they will typically use the first few days to remind students and issue warnings before enforcement of disciplinary consequences begins on the following Monday. The district will publish a frequently asked questions document online and said training materials (including a video) will be available for students who enroll later in the term.

The trustees took the action after a presentation by district staff and campus principals. The approved code and the device policy are districtwide; administrators said schools will operate a common framework but may tailor logistical details (exact secure-storage location, sign-out process) to campus needs. The board emphasized that any further changes to consequences or implementation would come back to the board if required.

Votes at a glance: the Student Code of Conduct motion passed with the board recording the result as unanimous in favor (5 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain, 2 absent).