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Trustees at San Antonio’s North East Independent School district voted 5-1 Monday night to revise its cell phone policy amid pressure from the Texas Education Agency.
NEISD’s current cell phony policy — which primarily affects high school students — allows students to use phones at lunch and during passing periods. The amended policy will now ban students from using phones from bell-to-bell.
The 2025 law House Bill 1481 requires school districts across the state to prohibit students from using cell phones and other electronic devices during the school day. NEISD argued the law as currently written did not define what the school day was and based its policy on instructional time.
The district had stood its grounds against the TEA over the last few months over its interpretation of the law. Trustees cited concerns that parents would not be able to quickly reach their children during the day.
The change comes after investigators with the TEA recommended last month that the Education Commissioner place NEISD, San Antonio’s second largest school district, under the oversight of a state-appointed conservator.
The TEA issued a final report indicating that the said oversight was needed because of the district’s continued failure to comply with the agency’s directive to amend its cell phone policy.
Board President David Beyer spoke about the back-and-forth with the TEA. He cast the lone vote against amending the district’s policy.
"It's certainly been a balancing act between the state, teachers, parents, and students, most importantly. So, it's been a very long road."
Trustee Diane Sciba Villareal agreed.
"This is very difficult," she said. "We have heard from our parents and the people from our district that they do not want us to be in a position where we have a conservator that comes in and takes over. I have to respect that because we need to maintain our autonomy."
Trustees voted for the new phone policy to take effect on May 25.
An attorney with NEISD previously told the board it could cost the district anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 on litigation to fight any sanctions imposed by the TEA.
