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NEISD Delays Cellphone Policy Decision as TEA Presses for Bell-to-Bell Ban

Trustees directed their lawyer to seek TEA guidance ahead of a Jan. 31 deadline for compliance.

Overview

  • North East ISD tabled a vote on revising its cellphone rules and plans an update later this month after counsel contacts the state agency.
  • Texas law requires districts to bar device use during instructional time, but NEISD’s policy allows phones during lunch and passing periods, which TEA says violates a school-day ban.
  • TEA placed the district under a corrective action plan on Nov. 6 and gave a Jan. 31 deadline to change the policy or face intervention.
  • Potential penalties include appointing a conservator with authority over district leadership or replacing the elected board with an appointed board of managers.
  • NEISD is weighing a lawsuit that its attorney says would be costly and could begin before the school year ends, as trustees cite parent feedback supporting limited access to phones.