SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Education Agency is investigating North East Independent School District’s (NEISD) cellphone ban policy after receiving a complaint that it does not comply with the new controversial law.
The district’s current policy states, “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.
The TEA wants the district to tighten its policy and ban cellphones throughout the entire school day.
KSAT spoke with several NEISD parents to see what they think about the investigation.
“I know for my teenager, he is always on the phone and he’s constantly, during the day even texting me and I wonder why phones are allowed in the first place,” NEISD parent Jessica Rosa said. “I understand for emergency purposes but they shouldn’t be used freely like that, in my opinion.”
“What if an emergency does occur? What are the students going to do? They’re not going to automatically tell us,” NEISD parent Krystal Lagunas said. “I think our kids have the right to be able to call us as parents to be notified.”
“The current policy seems to be going well with us,” NEISD Grandparent Bill Whipple said. “As long as we can reach the child after school or in the case of an emergency at lunch or something like that, I don’t think a total ban necessarily is necessary.”
Superintendent Dr. Sean Maika defends the district’s current policy and says it was implemented according to the law, which does not clarify when cellphones may be allowed to be used.
“When those things are not defined by law, then the locally elected board can define that, that is their authority to do so,” Maika said.
Maika said he is responding to the state’s concerns but he doesn’t see anything wrong with the current policy.
“In the next session, if they want to as a legislature, come back and define those terms, then we’re going to do what we’ve always done as a district to comply by the law,” Maika said.
While no immediate changes have been made, the district’s board of trustees will discuss its cellphone policy again during a meeting on Oct. 6.
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