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College Station ISD adopts stricter limits on student personal communication devices and updates code of conduct
Summary
The CSISD Board adopted a district policy aligning with new state law that requires students to keep personal communication devices put away during the school day and approved an updated student code of conduct with multiple changes from recent state legislation. The board amended the policy to explicitly name personal laptops and computers and set
College Station Independent School District trustees voted 7-0 Aug. 7 to adopt a district policy requiring students to have personal communication devices put away during the school day and approved a revised student code of conduct that implements multiple changes from recent Texas legislation.
The board’s action implements provisions that allow students to bring devices to campus but require them to be stored (for example, in backpacks) from the time they enter a building until the last bell. The policy includes enumerated exceptions for documented educational or medical needs such as Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 plans, or physician documentation. The board also removed any fines for confiscated devices, consistent with state law.
District staff told trustees the law permits limited exceptions when a student has a documented, individualized need and that administrators will handle accommodations case by case. Staff said some students currently use devices for accessibility reasons (larger type, screen readers), health monitoring (continuous glucose monitors), or anxiety monitoring and that those uses will be honored when documented and no reasonable alternative exists.
Trustees discussed implementation logistics, enforcement and classroom-level consequences. The board amended the proposed discipline language to explicitly add "non-CSISD personal computers and personal laptops" to the list of prohibited non-district personal communication devices; that amendment passed unanimously before final adoption of the code of conduct.
Board members and staff emphasized a phased rollout. Staff said principals, counselors and nurses are coordinating to review IEPs and Section 504 plans and to identify alternatives, such as district-issued devices, where reasonable. Administrators said they will use a progressive discipline matrix in the code of conduct for repeated infractions and treat refusal to surrender devices as insubordination under the discipline rules.
Trustees also approved multiple additional changes in the code of conduct tied to recent state law, including: expanding when a single incident can justify classroom removal; changes to in-school suspension (ISS) and out-of-school suspension (OSS) limits; new requirements on extracurricular club permissions; a 24-hour requirement for reporting suspected child abuse; and limitations on religious accommodations during the school day that must be implemented with parent permission.
Motions and votes related to these items were recorded as follows (see Actions section for details). The board chair and staff said further clarifications and communications to parents will follow, and the student handbook — a companion document to the code of conduct — will be finalized and published for families before school starts.
Trustees said the measures are intended to comply with state requirements while minimizing disruption in classrooms and preserving legitimate accommodations for students with documented needs.
