Texas Schools Go Device-free During Class Hours

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Governor Abbott passed a bill last Sunday that prohibits K-12 Texas students from using cell phones or any other personal device for communication during the school day.

House Bill 1481

House Bill 1481 applies to open-enrollment charter schools and public schools. Schools and their districts are now scrambling to create designated areas for students to store their prohibited devices on campus and to develop new school policies regarding phone usage. The law covers cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, radios, pagers, or anything that can be used for "telecommunication or digital communication."

Read More: How Governor Abbott's Veto Affects Hungry Texas Children

Why?

State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, authored the bill and pitched it as a way to help students stay focused in the classroom and free from distraction while learning. Fairly believes there will also be some mental health benefits to kids when they have less screen time, saying, "I anticipate not only seeing major jumps in GPAs and test scores, but improvements in mental health and social wellbeing as well."

Exceptions To The Bill

There are a few exceptions to House Bill 1481. Children with safety or health needs will be permitted to keep their device, provided documentation of their need to have it with them.

What Do YOU Think?

Do you think children should be able to keep their phones? What about emergencies? Something bothers me about them not being able to call 911 if they need to. Let's chat it out. Leave a comment or email me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com and give your perspective on this new Texas bill.

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