North East ISD delays new bell-to-bell cellphone ban until fall
May 12-North East Independent School District on Monday updated its cellphone policy - again. Trustees shifted the start of the district's new bell-to-bell student cellphone ban until the start of next school year after voting at an April meeting to make changes effective the last week of the school year.
Texas legislators passed House Bill 1481 in 2025, mandating that school districts adopt a personal device ban for students during the school day. North East ISD interpreted the law differently from the state's guidelines, allowing students to use their cellphones between classes and at lunch.
NEISD officials previously argued the law didn't explicitly require a bell-to-bell ban on device use. The Texas Education Agency disagreed and threatened state intervention to force trustees to change their policy. North East ISD could still face consequences for the dispute.
District trustees originally voted last month to adopt a new policy on May 25, starting the bell-to-bell ban during the last week of school. The NEISD board voted Monday to change the new policy's effective date to May 29 - the last day of school. Now the ban will take effect at the start of next school year.
This provides district officials time to implement the updated policy and ensure compliance, according to the Monday agenda item. It also allows students a buffer window to adjust, trustees previously stated.
Advocating for adaptability
NEISD Chief Operations Officer Deborah Caldwell testified on the district's cellphone policy before the Texas House Public Education Committee Monday. She told lawmakers about NEISD's experience enforcing the device ban and advocated for some flexibility in any future legislative changes.
Caldwell said that after the district updated the policy, parents asked NEISD officials to allow students to keep their phones stored in their backpacks, rather than locked away remotely or in a pouch.
"In case of an emergency, if that phone is locked away with a teacher who may or may not be available to unlock that device, that is a concern for our community," Caldwell said.
The device ban affects high school students uniquely, she said, as they often have to complete college applications on a personal device or communicate with coaches about athletics or extracurricular events.
"Thinking about the nuances, particularly of our high school students, is something that we would suggest you look into," she said.
When NEISD's board voted in April to change the cellphone ban to a full-day prohibition, trustees said they had tried their best to meet the wishes of parents in holding firm in the fight against TEA. But ultimately, trustees said they believed complying with the state was the best course of action after TEA issued a 20-page report that recommended a conservator oversee the district.
TEA began its investigation into North East ISD in October and gave the district until January to comply with a full-day ban. When the district continued to defy the state agency, TEA officials recommended installing a conservator in NEISD. A conservator has the power to override the decisions of a school board or superintendent; TEA recommended a state appointee immediately bring NEISD into compliance with state guidance.
NEISD's policy update does not necessarily eliminate the risk of a state conservator.
District leaders met with Education Commissioner Mike Morath on May 1 to plead their case. Morath will ultimately decide if the agency moves forward with a conservator - as of Tuesday morning, there was no update on the status of the state installing a conservator, according to NEISD spokesperson Aubrey Chancellor.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 7:02 PM.