GISD approves personal communication device policy

The Graham ISD Board of Trustees approved a policy in line with House Bill 1481, restricting the use of cellphones and other personal communication devices.

Following a meeting last week, the school board met Tuesday, Aug. 12 and approved the 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct and updated policy on cellphone use.

All school districts and charter schools must adopt a policy by Thursday, Sept. 18, or 90 days after the HB 1481 was signed Friday, June 20 by Gov. Greg Abbott.

The approved policy restricts use of personal communication devices on school property during the school day with students required to store the devices in an area such as a locker or backpack and silenced.

Personal communication devices include a telephone, cellphone, tablet, smartwatch, radio device, paging device, gaming device or any other electronic device capable of telecommunication or digital communication. 

Chief of Student Services Joe Gordy spoke Tuesday with the GISD Board of Trustees regarding the 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct. Under the policy, the students must put their phones or devices away until the afternoon when they leave campus.

“We tried to leave a little bit of ambiguity there, because a lot of our students at the end of the school day may not be done being in school. They may be involved in athletics, or they may be on a bus,” Gordy said.

Students are able to use personal communication devices on school buses in the morning or afternoon until they enter a school campus.

During a school emergency, students will be able to access their cellphones under the direction of their teacher or appropriate staff member. In the event of an emergency where staff are not available, students are able to use "best judgement" to use their devices to ensure their safety.

Devices may be necessary for dual credit courses and will be allowed to be used under the direction of the course instructor. 

Electronic devices provided to a student by the district are not included in these restrictions.

The district will allow the use of personal communication devices that are part of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504, or similar program or plan.

Devices will be allowed with documented need based on a directive from a qualified physician, or to comply with a health and safety requirement imposed by law or as part of the district’s safety protocols. 

Parents and guardians can contact the school office to deliver a message if they wish to reach out during the school day. Students will be allowed to use a device to update their parents if they are sick in the nurse’s office, under the direction of the nurse or appropriate staff.

“Inappropriate use of a personal communication device during the school day will result in disciplinary action in accordance with this Code of Conduct,” the adopted Student Code of Conduct states.

Disciplinary action for violating HB 1481 will be on a sliding scale for offenses committed.

For a first offense, the district will issue a warning and notify a parent or guardian. The offense will be recorded in Skyward using the Personal Communication Device Violation discipline code.

GISD uses Skyward for parents and guardians to check their children’s school information online. The online resource has student’s grades, missing assignments, averages, attendance and discipline information.

For the second through fourth offense, a warning will be issued and a campus administrator, or designee, may confiscate the device through the end of the day. 

If a student cellphone is confiscated, it will be stored securely in a designated area in the campus main office. Only authorized staff will have access to cellphone storage and release of the cellphone to a student or parent or guardian.

The parent or guardian will be notified and the device will be available to be picked up by the student or the parent or guardian by the end of the day.

The offense will be recorded in Skyward using the Personal Communication Device Violation two or three discipline code.

”Campus-level consequences may be assigned including school detention or up to one day of In-School Suspension (ISS),” the Student Code of Conduct states.

A fifth offense could result in a campus administrator, or designee, confiscating the device through the end of the day. 

The parent or guardian will be notified and the device will be available to be picked up by a student or parent or guardian by the end of the day.

A meeting will be scheduled with the parent or guardian, student and an administrator. The student and parent or guardian must sign a cellphone agreement contract.

”Campus-level consequences may be assigned including school detention or up to one, two or three days of In-School Suspension,” the Student Code of Conduct states.

Such as with previous offenses, it will be recorded in Skyward using the Personal Communication Device Violation 5 discipline code.

”Repeated violations will be considered insubordination. Failure to follow this policy will be treated as a serious offense in accordance with the Graham ISD Student Code of Conduct and may result in additional significant disciplinary consequences,” the Student Code of Conduct states.

Under the district’s former local policy, district employees were allowed to confiscate personal telecommunication devices used in violation of campus rules. If not retrieved, the device could be disposed of by the district after providing notice by law.

A student was required to obtain prior approval before using personal telecommunication or other personal electronic devices for on-campus instructional purposes, under the former policy. 

Students were previously allowed to possess cellphones for safety purposes, but were required to remain turned off during the instructional day. 

Before being state mandated, the district had considered an option to restrict the use of cellphones on campuses. In August and September 2024, the school board discussed cellphone use in the district.

The school board spoke about the possibility of using a Yondr pouch to hold phones and smart devices. The board took no action on moving forward with pouches within the district.

Some of the issues raised regarding the idea were centered around students in possession of more than one phone, the ongoing cost for replacement and other future expenses and students using tools to overcome the locking mechanism.

The district will be releasing a ‘frequently asked questions’ section on its website regarding the new device policy. GISD will communicate with parents and guardians via ParentSquare regarding the changes.

“It’s not going to be an easy transition, but this is in the best interest of educating our kids,” Board President Chris Blanton said in the Aug. 6 board meeting.