Textbooks, Not Texts: Texas Bans Cellphones To Boost School Focus
House Bill 1481 mandates that public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools adopt policies requiring devices like cellphones, tablets, smartwatches, and other telecommunication-enabled electronics to be stored securely and out of sight during the school day.
Schools must either ban students from bringing devices to campus or provide storage options, such as locked pouches, to ensure a safe and secure environment. The law requires disciplinary measures for students found using prohibited devices, with exceptions for school-provided devices, those needed for educational programs, doctor-prescribed devices, or those required for health or safety protocols.
Several North Texas districts, including Richardson ISD, have already implemented cellphone restrictions, citing distractions and bullying as reasons. Richardson ISD utilizes Yondr pouches, magnetic locking devices that enable students to carry their phones without accessing them. The district's superintendent reported 85% of teachers noted increased instructional time after the policy's adoption, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
Dallas ISD, which has tested various approaches, must now develop a district-wide policy this summer.
Piper Freeman, who just completed eighth grade at Dallas ISD's Robert T. Hill Junior High, where cellphones have been banned for several years, told Fox 4, 'It made a lot of people mad because they could not have their phones.' However, she added, 'It can be distracting when you see other kids on their phones.'
Piper's mother, Megan Freeman, credited the pouches for reducing fights and improving social skills, recalling her son's observation: '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.' I love it.'
Some opposition has emerged, with students in Houston staging a walkout last year against a cellphone ban and parents citing safety concerns, referencing the Uvalde school shooting, where victims used phones to call for help.
Megan Freeman acknowledged these concerns, saying, '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.'
Law enforcement experts advise students to avoid using their phones during emergencies and follow instructions quietly, noting that all Texas classrooms have desk phones for making 911 calls.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation on Friday banning students from using cellphones at school, marking the latest development in a trend that is growing nationally and worldwide. House Bill 1481 requires public schools and open-enrollment charter schools to implement policies prohibiting students from using a "personal communication device" during school hours. The policy also requires the school to adopt punishments for students found using these devices. Devices will be allowed if they are necessary for an educational program, if the student has a doctor's note, or if it is required to comply with health or safety regulations. Supporters of bans restricting cellphone use in school argue that the devices are distracting students. In Texas, 85 percent of teachers in the Richardson Independent School District reported that they got instructional time back under the district's cellphone ban, according to FOX 7 Austin. Critics argue that the devices are necessary for safety reasons. Students at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde used cellphones to call for help during a school shooting in 2022. Bans on cellphone usage in schools are in effect in many nations around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates. The bans often have certain exceptions, including phone use for educational purposes or to accommodate students with disabilities. Some countries, such as Latvia, only ban cellphone usage among younger students. Other countries, such as Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, Bolivia, Spain, and Germany, have regional bans on the use of cellphones in schools. Alabama Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware Florida Indiana Louisiana Minnesota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Virginia Washington Texas State Senator Brandon Creighton, in a statement: "Texas educators have increasingly voiced concerns about cell phones disrupting the classroom, and the data backs them up. Over 70 percent of national high school teachers say that cell phone distraction is one of the major problems that cause disruption." U.K. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, in a statement: "Schools are places for children to learn and mobile phones are, at a minimum, an unwanted distraction in the classroom. We are giving our hard-working teachers the tools to take action to help improve behaviour and to allow them to do what they do best – teach." School boards in Texas were given 90 days to adopt the new cellphone policy. Globally, several countries are reportedly considering nationwide bans on cellphones during school hours. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@ Related Articles Oldest Manager in MLB Bans Players From Using Cell PhonesT-Mobile Data Breach: How To See If You're Eligible For $25,000 PayoutApple iPhone 16e Vs. iPhone 16: Key Features, Pricing, and DifferencesApple iPhone 16e With 'Breakthrough Battery Life' Announced 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
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