AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas lawmaker from Lakeway is asking the Texas Education Agency to do a compliance check on the state’s new school cell phone ban.
The request comes as a poll showed nearly two-thirds of voters and parents support banning social media for children under 16. That strong support includes removing cellphones from K-12 classrooms.
The backstory:
The ban on cellphones and other personal communication devices in Texas schools started with the new school year. Enforcement of HB 1481 is a state mandate, not a suggestion. But four months into the new law, there are questions about compliance.
“I want to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to encourage those boards and those superintendents to follow the law and more importantly, do what is clearly best for their students,” said State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R) Lakeway.
It’s time for a state check-up on how schools are complying with the law, according to Troxclair. The Lakeway Republican said she contacted TEA Commissioner Mike Morath and asked that he launch an enforcement review.
“And in return, he said, ‘well, will you help me get out the word.’ We have a Complaint Hotline. We have a place where parents, teachers, and administrators can submit feedback,” said Troxclair.
Feedback has already caught up with North East ISD in San Antonio. NEISD officials reportedly were allowing cellphone use in cafeterias and in hallways.
“It’s not what the law says. The law that we passed was specifically from the morning bell to the afternoon bell,” said Troxclair.
A compromise allowing limited use outside a classroom is something Troxclair is not interested in.
“What you’re asking me is, well, isn’t there a little bit of anxiety to force on our children? Isn’t there a bit of access, predators having access to your kids during school time, okay? If it’s just a little. And the answer is no, of course,” said Troxclair.
But there’s parental anxiety. Some parents say they want to be able to contact their kids if an incident happens on campus.
“As a mom myself, I want to speak directly to parents at this time. There is zero evidence that your child having access to a cell phone makes them any safer. In fact, the opposite is true. In an emergency situation, oftentimes, the student’s cell phone access hinders the first responder’s ability to get to this situation quickly and efficiently,” said Troxclair.
It’s unclear how extensive a TEA review would be and how long it could take. Troxclair was asked if the information collected could be used to amend HB 1481.
“You know, I think the law is very clear and very well-written as it is,” said Troxclair.
Dig deeper:
Legal pushback in federal court has started on one of the new social media restrictions passed by state lawmakers. The case involves SB 2420.
A judge in Austin, on Tuesday, was asked to block enforcement which starts January 1. The law requires parental consent for minors to download apps and requires app makers to set an age rating.
Attorneys for the Computer & Communication Industry Association (CCIA) argued the law violates First Amendment free speech rights. Before the court hearing, CCIA Senior VP Stephanie Joyce issued the following statement.
“We shall show the judge that this law is unconstitutional and should not take effect. This law is grossly overbroad, involves forced-speech mandates, and is not remotely tailored to its stated purpose. It is a deeply flawed statute that the Court should block under the First Amendment.”
Troxclair voted for the age-gate legislation.
“There are such disturbing reports about extortion, about encouraging kids to commit suicide, about pornographic exposure. Get your kids a dumb phone. Resist the social pressure that everybody has,” said Troxclair.
A tougher proposal under HB 186, similar to Australia’s total social media ban for minors, failed to pass. Troxclair said she would support the idea again in 2027.
“I think it’s something worth talking about because I think we’re all going to benefit when we break our phone addiction,” said Troxclair.
By the numbers:
A recent report about a school in Kentucky with a cellphone ban quoted administrators about an unexpected benefit. They claim a 61% increase in books being checked out from its library since the ban started.
In that Kentucky report, 38% of their disciplinary issues involved violating the cellphone ban. The administrators said they hope that number will drop after students come back from the holiday break. It’s too early to tell if that kind of data will be collected as part of the TEA review.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski