Education
BY HANNAH NORTON
Teachers now have more disciplinary authority House Bill 6 gives public school teachers more discretion to remove students from the classroom if they are repeatedly disruptive or threaten the safety of others. The change comes after nearly half of Texas public school teachers cited disci- pline issues as a top workplace challenge in 2022, according to the Texas Education Agency. What you need to know The law, which took e ect immediately when Gov. Greg Abbott signed it June 20, allows schools to suspend students of any age who engage in “repeated or signi cant” disruptions, reversing a 2017 state law that generally prohibited schools from suspending students in pre-K through second grade. If students in kindergarten through third grade are sent home for behavioral issues,
Districts to level-set high school GPAs Texas school districts will soon be required to use a standard system to calculate high school students’ grade point averages. At a glance Senate Bill 1191, which became law June 20, directs the Texas Education Agency to create a new GPA standard “as soon as practicable.” The system must give equal weight to advanced placement, international baccalaureate and dual enrollment courses. “It most likely won’t impact kids that are currently enrolled in high school, … because it’s going to take a while to make sure every- one is on the same page,” said Bob Popinski, who leads the policy team for public school advocacy group Raise Your Hand Texas.
“A lot of the problems we see with our kids in high school is because they did not have consequences, none whatsoever, when they were younger.” REP. JEFF LEACH, R PLANO, BILL AUTHOR
schools must provide documentation explaining their decision. HB 6 gives schools the option to place students in an in-school suspension for as long as they see t. State law previously mandated that students could not be suspended for more than three school days, whether they were inside a school building or at home. The three-day time limit on out-of- school suspensions remains unchanged.
New law bans cellphone usage in all K 12 schools When Texas public school students return to campus this fall, they will be prohibited from using cellphones, smartwatches and other personal communication devices throughout the
School districts could:
the cellphone ban. “We want our kids to focus on academics, such as math, science and reading, and the reality is, these phones are a distraction. ... Schools cite growing incidents of cyberbullying due to these phones,” bill author Rep. Caroline Fairly, R Amarillo, said in March. HB 1481 includes exceptions for students with medical needs or special education accommoda- tions, and does not apply to devices supplied by school districts for academic purposes.
• Purchase pouches to store devices during the school day • Ask students to keep devices in their lockers or backpacks
school day. The details
Texas’ 2026-27 budget includes $20M in grants to help districts implement the law.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1481 into law June 20, giving school districts 90 days to adopt new electronic device policies, including disciplinary measures for students who violate
SOURCES: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
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