Waco-area schools are getting ready to lay down the law against cellphone use during the school day, and students are bracing for a disruption in their daily routine.
The Texas Legislature this spring passed House Bill 1481, banning “personal communications devices” during school hours. That includes cellphones, smart watches, laptops or tablets, except those issued by the school.
School districts in the Waco area have spent the summer creating policies on how to enforce the ban, whether by prohibiting the devices entirely or by requiring them to be stored.
At Waco Independent School District campuses, students are not allowed to have their phones out during the school day. That means the phone may not leave a student’s backpack.
Students who don’t comply will receive a verbal warning and get their device confiscated until the next day on a first offense.
On a second offense, students will receive a verbal warning and have a parent conference.
University High School junior Alexandria Hatten says she’ll miss listening to music and messaging friends on her phone after finishing her school work.
“I am addicted to my phone, I am not afraid to admit that,” said Hatten, drum major for the Trojan band. “But I think just having it away from me will help me get away from that.”
Hatten has heard from peers who don’t want to give their phones up. She’s worried that students won’t follow the rules, leading school officials to crack down even more.
“It will be very difficult to enforce considering so many people are so against this rule and they don’t really understand the consequences that could affect them and the people around them,” Hatten said.
Leaders of local school systems have voiced mixed reactions to the state ban.
Connally ISD school board president Steven Carter was once a proponent of cellphones in schools, but he has changed his mind.
“I was the person that fought to … be able to have (cell phones) and I’m telling you now, this is only causing more problems, it’s not helping us,” Carter said during a July 28 Connally ISD school board meeting.
University High School extracurricular students interviewed Friday said the new rules will be an adjustment for a generation that grew up with technology constantly at their fingertips.
Senior Leobardo Gama-Serrato would use his phone after finishing his assignments early, to listen to music in the hallways and in the cafeteria. He said the ban will force him to slow down and take his time on assignments.
“I think it’s gonna be kind of a big change, but I think I can live through it,” Gama-Serrato said.
For seniors, it means they will not get to document memories of their last year in high school the same way.
“In our generation, having a phone is our sense of communication to everybody around us,” University High senior Andrea Monrial said. “So not having a phone is kind of just weird because you’re not being able to capture those memories and make those silly vlogs and the silly TikTok dances like the people before us got to. But everything changes and we’re going to find new ways to come up with memories.”
Monrial said she has bought a digital camera to take the place of a cellphone at school.
For University High School senior London Smith, learning and using his cellphone worked in tandem. Teachers would ask students to take out their phones to use for specific classwork or to use specific applications.
Smith said the ban could have a positive impact on the social and learning environment.
“They’ll just get to meet new people, build new relationships with people,” Smith said. “That’ll be big. It could change our culture honestly.”
As a student athlete, University High School junior Devontrae Kirkland was used to being on his phone during downtime between practices.
Kirkland said the ban could have an upside.
“It allows me to focus more without having my phone as a distraction,” Kirkland said.
Here is a roundup of what some other Waco-area school districts are doing to comply with the new law.
Connally ISD
Students will be required to place their devices in pouches provided by Connally ISD.
China Spring ISD
The school policy requires devices to be off and stored in backpacks or lockers for the entire school day. Students can not use their devices from 7:50 am to 3:56 pm. After dismissal, students will be allowed to use their devices.
Moody ISD
Students will be required to place their devices in sealed pouches during the school day.
If a student removes their device from the pouch, or has their device out, will have their device confiscated. On a first offense, students will be able to pick up their device at the end of the day.
A student who commits a second offense will receive detention and will get their device confiscated. A third offense will require a parent or guardian to pick up the student’s device and three days of detention.
Midway ISD
A student must have their device off and placed in a designated storage area. This includes a student’s car or personal bag. If a student has a device out, it will be confiscated and a parent has to go pick it up the next day.
Axtell ISD
Axtell ISD is taking a “common sense” approach to the communications devices ban by allowing parents to pick up personal devices the same day. In addition, students will have the option to store their devices in their backpacks or Chromebook bay areas.
“We’re in a rural setting,” Axtell ISD Superintendent said. “We don’t want a high school student or a junior high student that doesn’t have transportation options, being at home with the smaller sibling and not having their communications device.”
Axtell ISD is discussing with other districts to figure out what consequences they will implement. It starts school on Aug. 20.
Lorena ISD
Students must keep phones off during the school day. If a student has a device out, it will be confiscated and they can pick it up at the end of the day.
