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As families across San Antonio pack backpacks and gather supplies for the start of the new school year, there’s a change on the horizon they also need to prepare for.
A new state law bans students from using personal communication devices during school hours, and directs district officials to punish students who don’t comply.
Many San Antonio school districts are still finalizing their official cell phone policies, but district and campus leaders are already working to get the word out about the ban, and how they plan to implement it, ahead of the new school year.
Out of sight, not out of reach
Although the law gives districts the option of banning personal devices from campus entirely, most San Antonio districts are allowing students to bring them to school. Instead, students will be required to either place their phones and smartwatches in a designated location or keep them out of sight. Students will also have to either turn the phones off or place them on silent.
“In today’s day and age, (and) as a parent of a senior myself, I just believe that most parents are going to want to have the ability in an emergency situation to be able to contact and reach their student,” Northside ISD Superintendent John Craft said during a board meeting on July 22.
Northside plans to officially adopt their new cell phone policy on Aug. 12. According to Northside’s Barry Perez, the district’s middle schools already had an “away for the day” policy in place last school year, and O’Connor High School piloted a similar program at the high school level that other Northside high schools can emulate.
North East ISD trustees on Thursday evening approved a cell phone policy that only bars cell phones during instructional time. With prior approval, students will be allowed to use their phone during lunch and passing periods.
NEISD Superintendent Sean Maika said the district did a lot of work at the campus level last year working with students and others in the community to identify what cell phone policies would work best for them, and this policy is the district’s best attempt to respect what the campuses came up with while following the law.
“The stories I heard from kids about, ‘Hey, I’m waiting on a coach from a university to give me a call and Dr. Maika, I don’t get to pick when that call comes. They tell me it’s coming at 1:30 and I’m going to need that phone. I want to be able to work with my teacher to say I’ve got an extenuating circumstance.’ Here it is,” Maika said. “Another young lady said to me, Dr. Maika, my dad is not allowed to make personal calls at his work during the day. I’m responsible to call granddad every day to make sure he takes his insulin… I think those are all very reasonable things.”
South San ISD
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District Facebook page
San Antonio ISD’s board is slated to vote on its new policy Aug. 18. During a July 26 board workshop, Superintendent Jaime Aquino said the plan is to mostly continue SAISD’s existing cell phone policy barring use of personal devices during instructional time. Aquino said currently each campus is given discretion on how to ensure students don’t use their devices.
“CAST Med, what they do is they have an envelope. When the students get into the classroom, they put their (phone in an) envelope,” Aquino said. “Harris Middle School, they bought pouches, and they collect them at the beginning of class.”
SAISD trustee Stephanie Torres said a parent’s ability to reach their child during a lockout helps calms their fears.
“Once they do hear from the kid, it kind of nips it in the bud, and everything’s OK,” Torres said.
The Judson school board adopted its cell phone policy July 31. Before the vote, Judson Superintendent Milton Fields said their policy was that a phone cannot be seen nor heard.
“I understand, as a parent, sending your child to school or anywhere, (the family location sharing app) Life 360 is real,” Fields said. “I’m tracking my daughter right now.”
“But if it goes off, or if you pull it out, we’re going to have to confiscate it,” Fields added.
In an email, Brandon Oliver with East Central ISD confirmed the district will be continuing the cell phone policy it implemented last year. It directs elementary students to keep their devices turned off and stored away upon arriving at school. Students in grades 6-12 are required to keep devices silent and out-of-sight during the instructional day.
Consequences
Confiscation was listed as one possible consequence in the bill, and it also seems to be one of the primary ways San Antonio districts plan to respond.
In an email to families, Alamo Heights High School Principal Cory Ann Smith said devices will be confiscated on a first offense, and students will be given a two-hour Saturday detention. Students will be allowed to pick up their phones in the office at the end of the day on a first offense. After that, parents will have to come to the school to pick it up — and they may have to wait a day or two.
Fort Sam Houston ISD
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District Facebook page
Smith also warned that “refusal to surrender a device when asked by staff will be considered insubordination and may result in ISS or Out-of-School Suspension.”
Judson Superintendent Milton Fields also said refusing to hand phones over for confiscation changes the disciplinary response to insubordination.
“Insubordination can range from me giving you a write up, me sending you to ISS, and you go into alternative school, depending on the level of insubordination you provide,” Fields said.
East Central ISD’s policy also calls for confiscation on a first offense, and parents will be required to come in to pick the devices up.
NEISD’s new policy gives campuses flexibility on the sequence of consequences ranging from verbal warnings to lunch detention to confiscation, with the caveat that discipline must be consistent.
San Antonio ISD’s current policy is to give students a documented verbal warning on a first offense, and to confiscate the phone on a second offense.
Southside ISD’s new policy is similar to SAISD, with a verbal warning on a first offense and confiscation on a second offense.
Exceptions
The new state law gives three exceptions to the cell phone ban.
The first exception is for students who require a personal communication device as part of their special education or Section 504 plan. Some students, for instance, use a tablet as a speech device.
The second exception is for students with a medical need as verified by a physician. For example, a student who uses an app on their phone to measure their blood sugar.
The third exception is for “the district’s or school’s safety protocols.” District officials at both Northside and San Antonio ISD said they plan to use the third exception to allow students to report safety concerns.
“Last year we had about 900 students that used their devices to (report to) our p3 Anonymous (account),” Aquino said. “That gave us a lot, like whether weapons were (around).”
Current San Antonio area district policies and communications
Northside ISD: Sample policy from O’Connor High School. Board vote slated for Aug. 12.
North East ISD: Board policy on Aug. 7 agenda.
San Antonio ISD: 2024-2025 student code of conduct. Board vote slated for Aug. 18.
Judson ISD: Administrative regulations as approved July 31.
Southwest ISD: Will vote on policy during August board meeting.
East Central ISD: Continuing policy implemented last year.
Alamo Heights ISD: Will extend existing elementary and junior school policy to high school. Letter to high school families outlining rules and consequences.
IDEA Public Schools: Will vote on policy Aug. 22.
Southside ISD: 2025-2026 policy.
Somerset ISD: Social media communication. Will vote on policy at next meeting.
South San ISD: Social media communication.
Fort Sam Houston ISD: Social media communication.
Great Job Camille Phillips & the Team @ Texas Public Radio Source link for sharing this story.
