Grapevine-Colleyville ISD has joined a growing number of school districts in North Texas limiting students' use of cell phones during the school day. The school board passed the rules this week.
Existing rules that do not allow elementary school students to use phones during the school day remain in place.
For middle schools, students will be allowed to use phones before and after the school day and during lunch. High school students will be able to use their phones during the same times and also five minute "passing periods."
"Many of our high school students also have jobs, or they have responsibilities for picking up siblings where there's more need for that intermittent communication during the day," says GCISD Executive Director of Instructional Leadership Kalee McMullen.
During the meeting, parents spoke in favor of the limits.
"We love our school district, my husband and I, because it focuses on academic excellence and what is best for every student," one said.
"Many districts across the U.S. have already implemented a great policy," another said.
The measure passed unanimously.
"We're excited about this," says Superintendent Brad Schnautz. "One of the resources we just don't have enough of is time, time in our personal lives but really time in our professional lives. When you get into teaching children, time is of the essence."
Board members say the rules can help kids learn to use technology more efficiently.
For a first offense, a teacher would keep the phone until the end of the period. A second offense would have the phone kept in the school's office until the end of the day. For a third offense, a parent would have to pick up the phone. For additional offenses, the parent would have to pay $15.
Mansfield ISD adopted a similar policy last year. Keller ISD is considering a policy that would require phones to be turned off during the day. Richardson requires some students to keep phones locked away.
Dallas ISD requires phones to stay turned off with fines starting on the second offense.
Arlington and Fort Worth let students use phones but only for classwork.
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