After Texas legislators took action to prevent students from being from their mobile phone during the day, Coastal Bend schools are fighting the law.
From locked equipment bags to school insurance, this is how some district schools are approaching personal student devices in the 2025-26 school year.
Corpus Christ’s Independent School District Board voted for politics prohibiting students from using devices on July 28th. On the day of the school, although the district has not yet announced specifics, including the consequences if students disobey.
If the student violates this policy, the district will confiscate the unit.
State laws determine two ways to follow school districts: any school districts can prohibit students from bringing devices to school assets, or districts may designate a method to protect a pupil’s personal device during the school day.
Corpus Christ Isd has chosen the second method when the new district policy says that as a school’s property students protect any personal communication device “under administrative regulations”.
What exactly does it mean is not yet clear. The School Council is expected to approve updates to the Code of Conduct for Student Behavior to describe the implementation of policy at the upcoming meeting before school on August 11th.
However, the district staff stated during the meeting that the prescribed storage method could be as simple as required for any personal device to be turned off and help the student’s backpack.
This is a slightly stricter approach to student mobile phones than previously implemented Corpus Christ isd, although the area has taken steps to limit student devices earlier.
Last year, the district ordered that elementary and secondary school students protect any facilities and built on the whole day, and high school students had to keep their devices and unlocked. High school students were allowed to use their devices at lunch and between classes last year.
Now school staff should not see or hear a pupil’s mobile phone on a school day – not during class time or other part of the school’s day, including lunch and past periods.
Gregory-Portland ISD
The Gregory-Portland independent school district takes a different approach. Last week, the district announced that it was presenting bags to keep the equipment safely during the school day.
Vassing will be issued to the secondary and high school towns. At the initial level, bags will be used as needed.
Students will put their devices every morning in a closed bag. At the end of the day, they will be able to unlock their bags. Students who will check the school early will be able to unlock their bag at the front office.
The bags can be unlocked in the specified unlock stations in the city. According to the district data, the bags are not covered with magnets similar to safety labels, used in retail stores.
According to the district information website, magnets will also be installed in strategic locations throughout the campus so that students can reach their devices in the event of an emergency. Each class also has a phone that can collect 911.
Parents can communicate with their child during the school day by contacting the front office.
Gregory-Portland ISD created a video that explains the new policy. You can find video and more about politics on the Internet on g-pisd.org/distrist-info/house-bill-1481.
Flour Bleph ISD
Other districts, such as the “Flour Bleph Independent” school district, are still considering its policy and plans to share renovated guidelines until the beginning of the school year.
“By looking at all new legislation, we want to reassure our community that many guidelines for the law draft are already reflected in the current practice of the district,” Mover Bluff Isd Superintendent Chris Steinbruk said in a letter to families. “However, we take this opportunity to evaluate and improve the university’s campus level procedures to ensure consistency and complete compliance at all levels.”
Tulaso-Midway isd
The district of the Tulaso-Midway has already started the 2025-26 school year, but has not yet taken action in response to new laws.
Tulaso-Midway isd Superintendent Steve Vanmatre The letter stated that the district launched a school year in accordance with the 2024-25 policy and is currently receiving tips on politics. Employees on August 18 Will make a recommendation to the School Board.
The new legislation did not come without some opposition.
The ISD student of flour bluffs began a petition, which has since been closed. Several signators expressed pleasure in digital socialization and concern about communication during emergencies.
However, the laws of the State School of Texas are bound by the law.
What does Texas’ law say
At the expense of the Chamber, in 1481, the use of student personal communication devices in public and open management schools, this spring was confirmed by the Texas Representative House and Texas Senate. Greg Abbott signed a bill at the end of June.
The law describes a person’s communication devices as phones, including smartphones and FLIP phones, tablets, smart watches, radio devices, looking for devices or any electronic devices that can telecommunication or digital connection.
The law does not include any school electronic devices. All state schools provide electronic devices for educational purposes. Corpus Christ’s ISD students use Chromebook.
However, teachers of society and charter schools are prohibited from using personal communication equipment in the school’s day of school.
However, students with disabilities are an exception if the device is required to implement the plan of their individualized education program and for students with document -based documents, or if the qualified physician determined, or if the health or safety requirement is required.
The law does not apply to adult education programs.
Over the past two years, some Coastal Bend community parents and educators have increased anxiety about the effects of smartphones on children’s mental health, as well as support for productive education environment.
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This article initially appeared at Corpus Christ Caller Times: Texas Law forces coastal bending schools to ban cell phones in schools