North East ISD will meet to discuss their cellphone ban policy that was approved in August and is currently under investigation by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The district’s board of trustees’ meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m.
KSAT will livestream the meeting in this article. Delays are possible; if there is not a livestream available, check back at a later time.
House Bill 1481, signed into law in August, requires all school systems to adopt and implement a policy prohibiting the use of cellphones.
Under NEISD’s policy, “students are prohibited from using a personal communication device while on school property during the school day, except under the circumstances described in this policy.”
This means students must turn off and store all electronic devices — including cellphones, tablets and smartwatches — during instructional time. However, they can use them during lunch and passing periods.
In a letter obtained by KSAT and sent to parents on Tuesday, NEISD said the TEA and an unidentified Texas legislator contacted them to “tighten” the current cellphone policy.
The TEA’s guidance for policy implementation calls for a complete ban throughout the entire school day.
North East ISD Superintendent Sean Maika said the TEA’s suggestion undermines local decision-making.
She informed parents that the TEA didn’t define its own “school day” in its guidance, which allowed districts to exercise their authority to define it themselves.
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