(WBAP/KLIF) – DALLAS, TX – When students return to Dallas ISD schools after summer break, they’ll have to leave their phones at the door. On Thursday night, the Dallas ISD school board approved a new code of conduct which includes a ban on cell phones, tablets, smart watches, and any kind of digital communication device.
The new district-wide policy states that while teachers and campuses can determine the most appropriate way to store the electronic devices, they will be confiscated if a student is in violation of the rules. A parent or guardian can pick up the phone with no fee on the first violation. The second violation comes with a $5 dollar fee before the parent can reclaim it. The third violation is a $10 dollar fee, and the fourth violation comes with a $15 dollar fee.
This comes after Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill for a statewide cell phone ban for public schools. Several districts across the state had already approved their own ban policies even before Abbott signed the bill. Even though the statewide ban doesn’t take effect until September 1st, the Dallas ISD policy will be in place when the students return on August 12th.
In recent years several other school districts shift those cell phone policies. Both Northwest ISD and Grapevine Colleyville ISD opted to ban cell phones from the classroom, with a few exceptions before and after school, depending on what grade the kids are in. Keller ISD allows cell phones, but they must be turned off and put away during school hours. Richardson ISD also requires students to put cell phones away in a pouch all day. Mansfield ISD has also passed a similar rule.
(Copyright 2025 WBAP/KLIF. All Rights Reserved)
