New Texas law requires schools to ban student cellphones

DALLAS - Students in Texas will be banned from using cellphones in public schools after Sept. 1.

A new law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend requires all cellphones and other personal communication devices like smart watches to be in a secure, out-of-sight storage area during the school day.

Texas Bans Cellphones in Schools

What we know:

Over the weekend, the governor signed House Bill 1481 into law.

Beginning on Sept. 1, it will require public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt and implement policies prohibiting students from using a "personal communication device" in the course of school hours.

Under the new law, the school must either prohibit students from bringing devices on campus or provide a way for the student to store the device while on school property.

The policy also requires schools to have punishments in place for students who are found using the devices.

The list of banned personal communication devices includes cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, radio devices, paging devices, or any other electronic devices "capable of telecommunication or digital communication." The law makes exceptions for devices provided by the school.

There are also exceptions for devices needed for an education program, if a student has a doctor's note, or if it is necessary to comply with health or safety requirements or the school's safety protocols.

Local perspective:

Several school districts in North Texas have implemented cellphone restrictions in recent years, saying the devices lead to issues with distractions and bullying.

In Richardson ISD, students are already required to lock away their phones in Yondr pouches, which are magnetic locking devices that allow students to keep their phones with them but not use them.

The superintendent there reported that 85% of teachers felt they got more instructional time back after the policy change.

Other districts like Dallas ISD have experimented with different options, but will still need to come up with a district-wide policy over the summer.

What they're saying:

Piper Freeman just completed her eighth-grade year at Dallas ISD’s Robert T. Hill Junior High, where cellphones have been banned for the past few years.

"It made a lot of people mad because they could not have their phones," she said.

But she said the Yondr pouches, when enforced, help.

"It can be distracting when you see other kids on their phones," she said.

Freeman’s mom, Megan Freeman, credits the pouches for a large drop in fights at the school. She believes her son, who is now in high school, also has better social skills because of the cellphone-free lunch environment at Hill Junior High.

"He said, ‘Mom, you can tell the kids who have not had Yondr pouches because all of us Highlanders, we are talking at lunch. Everyone else is like this on their phone. They don’t know how to communicate,’" she said. "I love it."

The other side:

There has been some pushback to the idea of banning phones in schools. 

Students in Houston held a walkout last year to protest a cellphone ban. Some parents have also brought up the Uvalde school shooting, during which several victims made calls for help while trapped inside a classroom with the gunman.

Freeman said she can understand why some parents have concerns.

"I have had that frustration. I wish I could text my son or Piper. It’s made me more proactive. Or I message the teachers," she said.

As for emergencies, law enforcement experts urge students to stay off their phones and quietly follow instructions.

All Texas classrooms also have desk phones for 911 calls.

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