Phones being hurriedly stuffed into backpacks as teachers walk by, secret trips to the bathroom to text friends, or the loophole of having a MacBook — whatever it may be, many students have been asserting their dissent for the new law regarding their phones. But why the sudden negative reaction to a law seemingly attempting to help students focus? Could there be hidden ramifications? 

House Bill 1481, more commonly known as the “Phone Ban”, took effect starting Sept. 1 for the 2025-2026 school year. The bill passed through the Texas legislature and was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, aiming to reduce distractions throughout the school day by prohibiting students from using personal communication devices. While some support the ban, some students and teachers express dissatisfaction.

“Hopefully we’ll see more engagement and instruction in the classroom and more consistent engagement throughout the lesson,” Dean of Instruction Jennifer Colman said. “People defaulted to using their phones, so hopefully it’ll be more consistent in engagement, less distraction. And I think it’s good for all of us to take breaks from our phones.”

Despite the positive intentions of the effects of the new law, there were certain unforeseen issues including problems with funding, according to Colman.

“There were some legitimate instructional uses that now we’re spending money to buy the equipment to do that, which is okay,” Colman said. “But, you know, it’s not like we have endless funds. It’s a public school system, and I don’t know if that was really accounted for.”

Librarian Keri Burns agrees that there have been challenges in the implementation of the ban. Besides funding issues, Burns said that being “the enforcer” is not ideal as a librarian.

“Now with the phone ban, I have to walk around during lunch and I have to try to remind them of this state bill that my certification is on the line for,” Burns said. “I don’t want to be the bad guy. Nobody wants to be the bad guy.”

Burns said that oftentimes the people who make the laws have never been in the shoes of any people that are affected by that law, which she found irritating.

“They kind of get to sit in an iron tower and pass a law with hopefully good intentions,” Burns said. “I want to believe that they had good intentions, but they don’t realize in practice what that actually looks like.”

Many students have conflicted thoughts about the ban, including Student Body President Emilya Garza.

“I think the ban is affecting students positively, but also making them more sneaky, because now they’re trying to hide their phone while doing stuff,” Garza said. “I’ve seen people bring their switches and then put their phone in it or put their phone in their pencil case and watch stuff.” 

However, Garza said students also feel as if the phone ban is an intrusion upon their liberties.

“My concern is that the more they ban things that are irrelevant, the more they’re just going to keep banning things,” Garza said. “Next thing you know, they’re going to ban our freedom of speech, and then we’re not even going to be allowed to talk, and then we’re all gonna be anti-social.
It’s just going to lead to everyone never talking.”