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Willis ISD updates student handbook and policies to comply with new Texas laws on cell phones, library materials and parental rights
Summary
Trustees approved changes to the student handbook and several board policies to implement state law this school year: a strict 'off and away' personal device rule, new procedures for attendance exemptions, parental consent and notification rules tied to SB12 and SB13, and a revised library materials review process.
Willis ISD trustees on Aug. 20 approved handbook and policy revisions aligning district practice with recent Texas legislation, including rules on personal communication devices, attendance exemptions, library material review, and parental rights and consent.
The board updated its phone policy to adopt an "off and away" approach consistent with state law. Under the policy, personal communication devices must be powered off and stored away during the school day — including during breakfast, lunch and passing periods — unless the student has an approved exception such as a documented medical accommodation or 504/IEP requirement. The procedure specifies a tiered consequence sequence for unauthorized use: first offense requires parent pick-up, repeated offenses escalate to detention and possible in-school suspension and further discipline if behavior persists.
The handbook changes also implement recent statutory changes around compulsory attendance: written parental consent now excuses absences for released-time religious instruction and mental health appointments; absences for serious or life-threatening illness require physician certification on a district form when that form is available from TEA.
Trustees adopted updates to board policy EFB (library materials) to create procedures for acquiring, reviewing, and removing library materials with increased transparency, parental access to library catalogs and a formalized process for parents to challenge materials, per Senate Bill 13. The board also passed a resolution and other policy updates aligning with Senate Bill 12: requiring parental consent for certain student club participation, prohibiting district-sponsored clubs organized on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and mandating schools post instructional plans/syllabi and parental-rights information online.
District staff said they will provide the TEA-required forms and further procedural language once the state releases templates; trustees approved the policy updates and the SB12-aligned resolution by unanimous votes (7–0).
During the handbook presentation staff said the district has already been holding in-person parent–teacher conferences (the law requires at least two per year) and that campus leaders will fine-tune dress-code, jewelry and homework-submission timelines before final publication. Staff emphasized that medical and 504 accommodations are recognized exceptions to the device policy.
Motions to update FMCE (personal devices) local policy, EFB local (library materials), and to adopt a resolution implementing SB12 passed unanimously; staff will circulate finalized handbook language to campuses once TEA forms are available.
