House Bill 1481 states school districts are to adopt policies restricting students from using phones and other electronics during school hours and must enforce punishments for those who break the policy. The bill passed during the 89th Legislative Session and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 20.
The school board adopted a policy that states electronics are to be turned off and hidden in students’ bags while on campus.
“We’ve kind of coined it as ‘powering down distractions to power up potential,’” Superintendent Courtney Carpenter said. “We’re looking forward to the positive opportunities that this will provide from a social standpoint and interactions with students and teachers on campus.”
Banned devices include phones, smartwatches, earbuds, laptops and any other devices not owned by the district.
The policy states devices should be powered down and hidden by the time the student enters campus premises.
“Don’t ever walk in the building with it visible,” Carpenter said. “You keep it put away until you leave at the conclusion of the school day.”
Students who use their device on campus will face disciplinary action.
“[Discipline] is where we actually did have some flexibility as districts,” Carpenter said. “When we sat down and talked with our campus principals and our administration team, we kind of looked at it as a speeding ticket. You don’t get four chances to speed.”
The first offense is confiscation and the device must be picked up by a parent. The second offense is confiscation and ISS.
“I’m a believer in doing your job and being responsible and this is just part of that,” said Steven Orlowski, social studies department head and U.S. history teacher. “If you’re not going to be responsible and do what you need to do, there are going to be consequences that are going to not just impact you, but your parents as well.”
The third offense adds loss of exam exemptions and a complete device ban for the student. The fourth offense will result in a parent conference and the student will be subject to additional disciplinary measures for insubordination.
“At the beginning of the year, there’s going to be challenges from people that just can’t do their job and can’t follow the rules,” Orlowski said. “I’m sure there’s going to be people that want to test the limits, but hopefully, with the standards that have been put in place, there’ll be enough accountability on people to know that they can do this.”
Confiscated devices will be locked up in the main office.
“That way, if a teacher or administrator takes up a device, it’s in a secure place in the office,” Carpenter said. “That way an expensive device isn’t subject to being taken.”
The discipline policy is the same for all grade levels and is not impacted by the reason the student was on their phone.
“As far as a staff member is concerned – all of us, no matter where we are, no matter what level we are, what our position is – we are bound to follow state law,” Carpenter said. “We don’t have an option. Every one of us as a staff member is required to enforce the law and the law is to ban cell phones during the day.”
The board discussed the possibility of completely banning phones on campus at their Aug. 4 meeting.
“That’ll be if we’ve got too many kids taking their devices out and it’s just causing way too many discipline referrals, which I really don’t think that’s going to be the case,” Carpenter said.
Students with a documented medical need for the use of a device such as a 504 plan will be exempt from the policy.
“But they have to use it only for the prescriptive purpose that’s approved by the committee,” Carpenter said. “They still can’t message, they can’t make calls, they can’t text and can’t get on social media. If any of that’s found, they’re in violation.”
Parents wanting to contact their students can contact the front office. Additionally, students in sixth through 12th grade can now email people outside the district.
“Every level of campus has its own challenge,” Orlowski said. “I feel like the school district has taken everything into account.”
Carpenter spoke with superintendents from neighboring districts who already had a similar device policy in place.
“While they said it was a little painful in the very beginning, the kids now love going to lunch, all of them, regardless of if they have a lot of friends or not,” Carpenter said. “They’re just having social interaction – all the things that we as teachers and administrators got to do as kids because we didn’t have phones.”
Orlowski hopes the ban will decrease phone addiction for students.
“In the classroom environment, it’s going to force people to have to communicate with their peers,” Orlowski said. “People will get to meet people, learn something about people that they didn’t know, work with people and end up making friends that they never thought they might have because they’re so busy with just their social media world.”
Carpenter believes the policy will help students pay attention in class.
“I’m excited because I think it will power down some distractions that we’ve had,” Carpenter said. “I think it will help provide a focus that I think some of our students don’t even realize they’re lacking in the classroom.”
Carpenter made an Instagram post detailing H.B. 1481 on June 24. Multiple students commented criticizing the district for the phone ban.
“While I understand some students may not like it and they may feel restricted, it’s a great life lesson in civic responsibility because the law is the law,” Carpenter said.
The district has not seen a large amount of backlash since the post, Carpenter said.
“Just know that we’re not doing this to be mean and ugly ogres,” Carpenter said. “Our legislators and our governor would not be doing this if they didn’t feel like it was a crisis in our state.”
Orlowski hopes the law will encourage people to reach out to their elected representatives.
“At the end of the day, if people are mad about something, they need to understand that the school district put this policy in place because the state government put this policy into place,” Orlowski said. “Here is your chance not to be upset with the school district but with your elected representatives.”
Students and parents can go to Just Ask Argyle with any questions on the policy.
“We have amazing kids,” Carpenter said. “They have amazing parents. Everybody’s supportive of each other. While it’ll be different, and it’ll be a little painful in the beginning, I think everyone will get on board and realize the positives in it.”
