Texas School Districts Implement New Cell Phone Ban Policies

New State Law on Student Cell Phone Use

• 📱 A new state law, House Bill 1481, now allows Texas school districts to decide how to enforce cell phone bans for K-12 students.
• 🏫 Districts are required to develop and enforce policies that prohibit the use of personal communication devices during the school day.

Lamar CISD Cell Phone Policy

• 🚫 Lamar CISD prohibits the use of cell phones, two-way radios, smartwatches, smart glasses, headphones, and earbuds.
• ✋ Students violating the policy will have their devices confiscated, requiring a parent or guardian to pick them up.
• ⚠️ A fifth violation of the policy may result in the student being sent to an alternative learning center.

Katy ISD Cell Phone Policy

• 📵 Katy ISD also bans similar devices, including cell phones and smartwatches.
• 📝 Violators will have their devices confiscated, and parents must retrieve them. Additional consequences are outlined in the discipline management plan and student code of conduct.

Exceptions to the Ban

• 🩺 Exceptions are made for medical reasons.
• 💻 Students may use district-provided devices, such as tablets, for educational purposes.