College Station ISD adopts new student communication-device policy and updates code of conduct

The College Station ISD Board of Trustees voted 7-0 on Aug. 7 to adopt a local policy restricting student use of personal communication devices during the school day and to adopt an updated student code of conduct that implements changes from recent state legislation.

The board’s vote puts in place a policy that requires students to keep personal communication devices — including cell phones, smart watches, smart glasses, smart rings, non‑district tablets and personal communication devices — put away from the time a student enters a campus building until the last bell. The policy allows district‑issued devices in class and creates documented exceptions for students whose individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans require device use, or when a licensed physician documents a medical need.

The changes are aimed at compliance with state law while providing campus administrators with an enforcement framework and a discipline matrix referenced in the code of conduct. The policy authorizes district employees to confiscate devices when students violate the rules; the board confirmed the district will no longer charge a fine when a device is confiscated.

“We do have to vote on this today because we have to have it in place when school starts,” district presenter Miss Hester said during the meeting, describing the policy’s main elements and the need to address IEP/504 exceptions on a case‑by‑case basis. Hester said staff would track implementation and that the superintendent will report annually to the board on compliance.

Trustees debated clarifying language about what counts as a prohibited device and later approved a board amendment explicitly listing “non‑CSISD tablets, iPads, personal computers and personal laptops” among prohibited items. The amendment was offered and approved by trustees before the main motion; the board then adopted the overall code of conduct, which contains the detailed discipline matrix for device infractions and other student behavior changes required by state law.

The updated student code of conduct incorporates multiple legislative changes, including: the designation and public posting of a campus behavior coordinator; new guidance and timelines for child‑abuse reporting (24‑hour reporting requirements); modified rules for in‑school and out‑of‑school suspensions (no set limit on ISS days, a three‑day limit for OSS in some grades); procedures for a teacher‑initiated removal and a required return‑to‑class plan developed by a small committee; changes to club membership rules; and altered disciplinary paths for vaping offenses. District staff said some state guidance is still pending and that principals and counselors are working to operationalize IEP/504 accommodations for device use.

Board member Dr. Payne, who moved adoption of the policy, said the board must follow state law while supporting school staff and families during the transition. “We can be more restrictive than the law says,” one trustee noted during discussion of enforcement approach and likely gray areas that administrators will encounter in the first weeks of school.

The motions recorded in the meeting minutes list the outcomes as unanimous: both the device policy (including the added language on personal computers) and the updated student code of conduct passed 7‑0.

The district plans to publish the code of conduct and related campus guidance to parents. Staff told the board they will monitor first‑term implementation, collect data on infractions and provide the required annual compliance report to the board.

Ending: The new rules take effect for the coming school year; staff emphasized they will continue developing campus‑level procedures, IEP/504 accommodations and parent communications during the first weeks of school.