A look at school cellphone rules in San Antonio
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More than half of U.S. states have taken steps to ban or restrict cellphone use in K-12 schools, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: Even some students admit that their phones can be disruptive during class, and cyberbullying is a persistent issue — but many parents see phones as critical safety tools.
Zoom in: Texas education commissioner Mike Morath recently urged lawmakers to bar cellphones from public schools.
What they're saying: "If it were in my power, I would have already banned them in all schools in the state. So I would encourage you to consider that as a matter of public policy," Morath told state senators at a hearing last month.
State of play: Cellphone policies in San Antonio schools are varied, with districts — and sometimes campuses — deciding their own approaches.
- A committee of East Central ISD parents, teachers and administrators this spring reviewed how phones impact students' health. They created updated guidelines for a cellphone policy the district introduced in 2011, allowing students to have phones but requiring them to be kept out of sight during the school day.
- Northside ISD's policy remains unchanged, with no immediate plans for revisions despite ongoing discussions. Schools can set acceptable use standards, and most middle schools have adopted a "no phones out during the day" policy, spokesperson Barry Perez tells Axios.
- San Antonio ISD students are allowed to have phones at school, but they must be turned off during school hours unless a principal or teacher approves their use for educational purposes. A few schools in the district are piloting a no cellphone use policy this year, spokesperson Lorraine Pulido tells Axios.
Zoom out: Eight states, including Florida, Louisiana and Virginia, have banned or restricted school cellphone use, per a recent KFF analysis.
How it works: In some schools, students are expected to put their devices in a secure pouch they can unlock when leaving for the day, or in case of emergency.
Yes, but: "Emerging research on student outcomes is mixed, with some studies suggesting improvements in student mental health and academic performance and a reduction in bullying, and others showing little to no change," per KFF.