What you need to know
In August, the district announced it would implement the following policy across all campuses:
- Elementary and middle schools: Phones must be out of sight, not to be used or heard throughout the school day.
- High schools: Phones may be used during passing periods and lunch only.
This change in policy is intended to increase student achievement and maintain safe environments on campuses, per the district.
GISD is just one of several school districts across the state implementing a more stringent policy or an all-out ban on phones in the classroom. In Montgomery ISD, students are not allowed to use phones during the school day at all and they must be fully powered off. Keller and Northwest ISDs have also implemented similar policies.
The policy also standardizes the way the it is enforced, Superintendent Devin Padavil said during an Aug. 19 board meeting, when trustees approved some updates to the student code of conduct.
It also allows the district to combat phones as a distraction in the classroom, he said.
What they're saying
"This is an issue that's really dear to my heart because I see it as an issue that's really affected our students' mental health," Place 4 Trustee Stephanie Blanck said. "I see it as an issue that has really affected the academic focus of our students. I also see it as a an issue that affects how our students can relate with each other. Rather than talking to each other, they are on cellphones, and what happens when students don't develop the ability to make connections and relationships is really detrimental."
