EPISD adopts state‑required cell‑phone policy; students and trustees press for flexibility

The El Paso Independent School District board voted unanimously Aug. 19 to adopt proposed revisions to board policy FNCE local to implement the new state restrictions on personal communication devices in schools.

Assistant Superintendent Mark Bossey explained the policy follows the TEA model and interprets the statute so that the 'school day' extends bell to bell — including transitions and lunchtime — at campus level. He outlined supervised exceptions and safe‑space options: "We do have designated safe spaces for use, the nurse's office, obviously, the administrative office... Counseling center is another one," Bossey said, adding the district will provide training for staff and families and will monitor referrals.

Students and parents who spoke at public forum requested flexibility. Olivia Veil, a student at El Paso High, told the board the restriction makes day‑to‑day communication and extracurricular coordination difficult: "I understand it's a state law, but I'm just asking for flexibility on how this law is enforced... we use QR codes and Instagram; we can't check the Instagram for our post."

Trustees asked staff how exemptions would be handled. Bossey said supervised off‑campus activities (for example, UIL events) and documented medical exemptions under IEP/504 with a physician's note will be accommodated; campus offices will serve as safe spaces where students may request to notify parents when necessary. To measure implementation burden, the district will use a referral code for communication‑device incidents and report trends to the board every three weeks and again at six weeks.

The board's motion to adopt the policy carried 6–0. Administration said it will make an implementation video for staff and families, deploy professional development through the district's training platform by Monday following the meeting, and monitor referrals closely during the rollout period.