Phone Free in BISD

Beginning the 2025–2026 school year, all students in grades 6–12 will be issued a cell phone pouch to secure their phone. The pouch is school property and is loaned to the student for the year. Students are responsible for bringing the pouch to and from school each day and keeping it in good condition.

When students arrive at school, they will turn off their phones, earbuds, and smart watches, place them in their cell phone pouches, and lock them in front of a designated staff member. At the end of the day, students will unlock their pouches at one of several designated locations in the building.

Students attending classes at the Career & Technical Education Center (CTEC) or Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) are expected to follow the same cell phone procedures as all BISD high schools. However, students traveling between their home campus and either CTEC or LIT may unlock their pouches before leaving campus and must re-lock their devices upon returning to their home campus.

If a student leaves campus early for an approved reason, such as a medical emergency, work assignment, athletic event, or school-sponsored trip, they may unlock their device just before leaving. If they return during the school day, they must lock their device again when re-entering the building.

If a student does not have their pouch, they will voluntarily give their phone to the front office to be stored for the day.  Parents need to know that this is a violation and can, if consistently being done, result in consequences.

To help students stay focused on learning, we ask that you avoid contacting them during the school day unless it’s an emergency. If you need to reach your child, please call the school’s front office.

In an emergency, the campus will follow all district safety procedures to protect students.

Students will keep their phones with them, secured inside their assigned cell phone pouch, throughout the entire school day.

Each student will be issued a cell phone pouch, similar to how textbooks are assigned. Every pouch will have a unique number linked to the student. If the pouch is lost or damaged, the student and their parent/guardian will be responsible for paying the full replacement cost.

Students who use a smartphone to monitor a health condition will be provided a non-locking cell phone pouch as part of their 504 plan or individual health plan, allowing them to continue monitoring as needed. All other cell phone guidelines will still apply. Parents should contact the campus to request approval.

Yes, all schools will have an outside box mounted at a location at the school that can be unlocked so that they can unsecure/unlock their pouch.  One will also be available at the annex and administration building, but will only be unlocked until 5 pm.

 Please refer to the consequence list on the BISD Cell Phone Policy.  Failure to adhere to the procedure will result in consequences.

Please note that your child’s actual pouch may look different from the example shown below.

As students enter school, they place their phone into their assigned pouch.
They then close and secure the pouch, keeping it with them throughout the day.
At the end of the day, students unlock their pouch using a designated unlocking base before leaving campus.

The FAQs will be updated as the phone-free policy is rolled out throughout the school year. If you have any questions about the implementation, please contact your campus administrator.