As schools welcome back students this fall, campuses across the state won’t be as inviting to cellphones.
As a student journalist, Field would often use her phone for reporting assignments. She said having a phone on her — even if she could only use it between classes – soothed anxieties about school shootings and other campus emergencies.
“While this sounds dark,” Field said, “I think it is a reality every Texas high schooler has questioned at least once — what am I gonna do if I can’t tell my parents goodbye for the last time?”
But educators say cellphones and other devices have become problematic as teachers compete for attention in classrooms. Supporters of the ban say cellphones distract from learning, exacerbate bullying and trigger unfounded panic from false alarms. Research suggests that social media use — and being unable to easily separate from phones — could be adding to mental health issues among children, according to Betsy Kennard, professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas, Southwestern, in Dallas.
The law signed by Abbott in June went into effect immediately, and schools across the state are racing to draft and adopt new policies before a Sept. 18 deadline. School systems can comply with the requirement by either banning devices on campus altogether or designating a method to store devices during the school day.
“I don’t see how this will prepare students for the outside world,” Field said, “if we’re not treated like adults, at least at the high school level.”
Florida was the first to impose statewide restrictions on cellphones in schools in 2023. Just two years later, more than half of states have passed a law regulating the use of cellphones in schools, according to an analysis by the AP.
Dallas ISD, the largest school district in North Texas, will use secure pouches to store devices at middle and high schools. At elementary schools, teachers will collect devices in the homeroom and store them until the end of the day. Exceptions to the ban can be provided for students with medical needs or individualized education plans.
“We would ask that for our parents and our students to recognize that this is a law that we’re complying with, and that we do also believe that it has instructional benefits,” said Brian Lusk, deputy superintendent of academics and transformation at Dallas ISD.
Many schools are encouraging parents to contact the front office if they need to reach their child day-to-day. If there is an emergency, Dallas ISD officials said phones around the building will be made accessible to students.
“I remember school teachers trying to figure out which phone was buzzing and ringing, and it being a distraction in the classroom,” Caroline Fairly, the Gen Z author of the bill, said during a committee hearing.
Cyliyah Goodlow is a junior at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, which has more than 2,000 students. She knows from experience how parents and students want information immediately during an emergency.
When her school was locked down, many students first learned it was a false alarm through social media or text messages, she said.
After the bill was signed into law, Goodlow launched an online petition now joined by more than 50,000 people. But undoing the law would take another act by lawmakers.
“I just felt like this law was more about control rather than guidance or discipline,” she said. ‘“Phones are how we connect, share events and feel part of something.”
Some high schoolers say the lack of access to any personal devices — from iPads to personal laptops to headphones — will complicate their school work.
“I use my laptop for everything,” Azeemah Sadiq, 17, said. “There’s a lot of websites that are restricted that I would need for my college classes that I won’t be able to use on school laptops.”
A few campuses across North Texas have already piloted their own bans, and seen success.
Richardson ISD high schools have required students to store phones in Yondr pouches that are magnetically sealed at the start of the day and unlocked by special devices at dismissal for two years. Dallas ISD has implemented similar pouches at a few schools, including Bryan Adams High School, for a few years.
“They’ve seen a lot of benefits,” said Lusk, the Dallas ISD official. “Academic achievement has continued to increase. The climate and culture of the school continues to be healthier.”
London Fox, 17, is a rising senior at Richardson High School. He said he was wary of the Yondr pouches at first, but has witnessed a positive effect at his school as teachers spend less instructional time confiscating phones. It’s easier for him to focus without constantly receiving messages or notifications.
When students need to communicate with parents during the day, they usually email them, Fox said. “It’s not the best substitute, but with the Yondr pouches, you can always ask to unlock them if it’s an immediate emergency.”
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