PAISD discusses changes to district after state law bans cell phone use

Published 4:37 pm Friday, July 25, 2025

Trustees with Port Arthur Independent School District approved several policies related to recent legislative action, including the banning of personal communication devices on school property.

The banning of cell phone use extends to watches or laptops and tablets stems from House Bill 1481, which is now a law. The State allows districts to approve a policy of possession as well as usage. 

Superintendent Mark Porterie said the district wants to work with parents on the issue, adding the district understands that parents want to track and have acess to their students before and after school hours such as when they ride the bus, drive cars and participate in athletic activities. 

“But we’re asking that our parents work with us and to ensure that their students understand that phone usage is prohibited during the instructional day, and that means from the time they enter that facility to the time they go home,” Porterie said. “We’re going to work with our parents. We will call them, we will remind them. We’re going to remind our students, it can be done. We want our students to focus on academics and not talking on the phone.”

HB 1481 prohibits personal wireless devices during instruction, requires secure storage, and takes effect Sept. 1.

Trustee Taylor Getwood, as a “member of the Gen Z community” and one that “cannot  live without his cell phone” said he puts himself in the shoes of the students that are currently in school and understands  how much of a challenge the new rule is going to be.

“I want to thank you for proposing a policy that does not, of course, hinder our partnership with the community, but fits in line with where we want to go academically and also as it relates to what we have to do for the state. I want to emphasize, this isn’t a PAISD policy and hopefully this will really ignite our community, to come back to being unity in community, being able to understand that we have to make decisions based upon what we’re given, and we want to see those changes.”

In other action the board approved opting out of allowing private charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities and approved a salary schedule for teachers starting at $55,500 and 3% raise for other staff.