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La Porte officials say pouches won't block emergency communication; administrators will unlock after "all clear"
Summary
District safety staff cited Department of Homeland Security guidance that mass phone use can jam lines in emergencies and said administrators will unlock Yondr pouches once a situation is cleared; the district will use ParentSquare for rapid parent updates.
Jordan Heckard described safety reasoning cited at a statewide Department of Homeland Security conference: mass use of phones during an emergency can overload call lines and spread conflicting information. He said school staff must be able to control messaging and receive instructions.
"In an emergency, the use student use of cell phones, there's a number of things that can happen that end up potentially making the situation worse," Heckard said, listing concerns including jammed call lines and social-media confusion. He added that once an "all clear" is given, administrators will unlock pouches so students can contact parents.
Sandra Wood said the district will rely on ParentSquare to send accurate and timely notifications to families and asked for parental trust during emergencies. Officials noted classroom phones and office lines remain available for routine messages during the day.
