JISD releases cellphone policy ahead of new school year

Jacksboro ISD is expected to approve a new cellphone policy at its board meeting in August prohibiting the possession and use of cellphones, smart watches, tablets and other personal communication devices on campus during school hours.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1481 into law in June, effective Sept. 1, banning students in kindergarten through 12th grade from using cellphones while at school, giving each school district the discretion to decide how to implement that change.

JISD Superintendent Brad Burnett said the district had a few options to consider in order to comply with the law, including enacting a straight prohibition of any device on campus during the day.

“The intent of the law is that personal communication devices must be prohibited during the school day,” Burnett said. “We felt like there would be some issues with our students who participate in extracurricular activities if they didn’t have access to their phones before or after school.”

Instead, the district will ban students in pre-K through sixth grade from bringing any communication device to school. Students in seventh through 12th grade may bring their devices, but they must be stored in a locker or vehicle during the school day.

“We wanted to be able to provide a means of communication between those kids and parents so the expectation is to store the device. Put it in your locker, put it in your athletic locker or leave it in your vehicle. Those are your three options,” Burnett said.

Burnett said if teachers or administrators saw a student with their device during the school day it could be confiscated. The school day is considered instructional time between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 3:35 p.m. Using devices during passing periods or lunch was not allowed.

“The kids are going to have to learn the hard way and it’s going to be an enforcement challenge for our administrators,” Burnett said.

Burnett said the district will need cooperation from parents to help enforce the new policy moving forward.

Supporters of the ban argued cellphones were a distraction in the classroom, interfering with students’ ability to focus and engage in the material.

Students will still use their school-assigned Chromebooks in class and will have access to their school email, but JISD Assistant Superintendent Sara Mathis said students can no longer use their personal laptops in class.

“We’re really evaluating in our classrooms how much they need to be on the device,” Mathis said. “We went the opposite direction during COVID and right after, where some of our secondary kids are so dependent on their devices during the school day. That’s not the ideal learning environment for them.”

Critics of the new policy said it hindered communication between students and parents throughout the school day, while others worried about safety during an emergency. But Burnett said parents could still reach their children during the school day through their school email.

As some Texas school districts already have the new policy in place, the state will join others already enforcing similar policies, including California, Florida, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia and South Carolina. Another 26 states also proposed bans.