Grapevine Colleyville ISD Implements $15 Fine for Cellphone Policy Violations

GRAPEVINE, Texas – Grapevine Colleyville ISD (GCISD) in Tarrant County is introducing new measures to limit cellphone use in classrooms, including a $15 fine for repeated violations. The district announced that student cellphone use has become a growing problem, prompting stricter regulations for the upcoming school year.

New Cellphone Restrictions:

Middle and High School Students: Must turn off and put away their phones except before and after school or during lunchtime.
High School Students: Allowed to use phones during passing periods.
Elementary Students: Prohibited from using cellphones during the school day.

Penalties for Violations:

Students who break the rules will have their phones confiscated and returned at the end of the class or school day. If a student violates the policy four or more times, their phone will be taken to the office, and they will incur a $15 fine.

Dianna Sager, a GCISD school board trustee, explained the policy’s benefits: “This will make it easier for secondary level teachers to manage classroom distractions. It ensures parents can reach their children during appropriate times like lunch and passing periods, which only last five minutes.”

The GCISD school board unanimously voted 6-0 to adopt the tougher cellphone policy. This follows similar actions by other districts, with Mansfield ISD implementing a comparable policy last school year and Keller ISD proposing a complete ban on cellphone use during school hours, including restrictions on headphones and unapproved Bluetooth devices.