This year, all public schools in Texas — including those in Dallas ISD — must comply with House Bill 1481, a new state law that prohibits students from using personal communication devices during the school day.
This means that students will not be allowed to use or display devices such as cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, AirPods, laptops, or smart glasses at any time during the instructional day. Dallas ISD will begin enforcing this law on the first day of school, August 12, to support consistency and readiness across campuses.
“HB 1481 is about ensuring that students are focused, present, and safe during school hours,” said Tiffany Huitt-Powell, chief of schools for Dallas ISD. “We are committed to helping families, students, and staff understand the law and how it will be implemented in our schools.”
To meet compliance, campuses will designate appropriate storage methods and disciplinary consequences in line with the Student Code of Conduct.
- At the elementary level, teachers will collect cellular devices in the homeroom stored in a secure location until the end of the day.
- At the secondary level, campuses will use cell phone pouches to store devices. At the end of the school day, students will have access to a magnetic device which unlocks the pouch for students for retrieval.
- Campuses without pouches for the first couple of days of school will have a plan to secure devices in backpacks until the pouches are received.
To learn more about the new law and how your family can support a distraction-free school day, visit www.dallasisd.org/devicefree.
