Grapevine-Colleyville ISD adopts cell phone ban in classrooms
NORTH TEXAS – In a school board meeting Monday night, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD leaders voted to adopt a new cell phone usage policy.
During the meeting, it was clear that the distraction caused by cell phones was a concern for many on the school board as the vote passed 6-0.
The newly approved policy, which varies by grade level, will impose stricter control over cell phone usage:
- Elementary students: No cell phones allowed.
- Middle school students: Cell phones permitted only during lunch.
- High school students: Cell phones allowed during lunch and passing periods.
In addition to usage restrictions, the policy includes penalties for non-compliance. On the first offense, a teacher will confiscate the phone. For the second offense, the phone is brought to the office and the student can get it at the end of the day. For the third offense, the phone is brought to the office but must be retrieved by a parent, and a fourth offense equates to the third offense plus a $15 fine.
Many parents have expressed support for the new policy.
"Honestly, I was ecstatic," said parent Danielle Radon. "It's become a distraction in a way I don't know if anyone anticipated."
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD staff emphasized the importance of parental support to ensure the policy's success, highlighting potential benefits such as improved focus, reduced cheating, and increased use of school-approved technology like graphing calculators.
"I think this will change a whole lot, not just academics, but social and cultural relationships for kids within schools," said parent Vanessa Steinkamp.
The new policy comes on the heels of a similar decision by Keller ISD earlier this week and follows Mansfield ISD's implementation of a cellphone ban last year.