Midway ISD board adopts updated student code of conduct and personal-device policy to comply with new state laws

The Midway ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved an updated student code of conduct and a district personal-communications-device policy at its regular July meeting after administration and trustees agreed on final language to align both documents.

The administration presented the policy changes as required by House Bill 1481 and several discipline-related changes required by House Bill 6. Paul, who led the presentation, said the HB 1481 "requires the board to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using a personal communication device while on school property during the school day," and the draft policy uses the TASB model as its basis.

Why it matters: The new rules affect where students may keep phones and other devices and how staff must respond to violations. Administration and trustees agreed to define acceptable storage as a backpack, purse, bag or car and to remove vague "campus-designated storage" language that district leaders feared would create inconsistent campus enforcement.

Key provisions adopted: first-offense devices will be confiscated and the student may retrieve the device the following school day; on a second offense a parent or legal guardian may retrieve the device no earlier than the end of the school day and no later than one hour after the end of that school day (the board agreed to add clarifying language about same-day pickup in limited circumstances); third and subsequent offenses will be treated as insubordination with school consequences such as in-school suspension (ISS) or out-of-school suspension (OSS) applied at administrators' discretion. The policy also preserves exceptions for documented 504/IEP needs, documented health or safety needs and authorized school-issued devices.

Discipline changes required by House Bill 6 were reviewed alongside the device policy. Paul summarized those changes, including the requirement to name one campus behavior coordinator (the principal) in the handbook, removal of a former three-day cap on ISS (with 10-day review requirements if a student remains in ISS), revised handling of nicotine-vape possession (first possession now discretionary DAP or a 10-day ISS assignment; sales/transfers remain mandatory DAP) and expanded grounds for mandatory DAP or expulsion in the most severe cases.

Trustees and administrators discussed implementability and enforcement details at length, including how the policy applies to athletics facilities and early-arrival students, the role of administrator judgment for special circumstances, and how staff will model the rule. "The expectation is for students to not have their phones out," Paul said, noting the district will provide a communications plan and FAQs to parents and staff ahead of implementation.

Next steps: Administration will finalize the amended language, include the agreed clarifications in the digital code of conduct and roll out a communication plan to families and staff before the start of the next school year. Auditors and other compliance timelines related to broader legislative changes will continue to affect district policy work over the coming months.

The board approved the policy and code of conduct as presented, with the administration charged to produce final text and community-facing communications.