Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA & HANNAH NORTON
Education Edition
2025
Welcome to Community Impact ’s annual Education Edition! Local school districts are responding to new requirements and guidelines from this year’s session of the Texas Legislature, while keeping up with the demands of a growing population of students. In this year’s Education Edition, we look at funding Conroe ISD expects to receive from House Bill 2, particularly as it a ects special education, which has seen a growth in demand in recent years. We also had a conversation with the district’s nutrition services director, Robyn Hughes, about the challenges providing meals for more than 73,000 students on a daily basis. Our coverage also extends to statewide topics that a ect all Texans such as changes to school nancing and how that will impact local tax bills.
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Conroe ISD: ‘Minimal impact’ expected from cellphone law guidelines, students in grades pre-K-6 could only use cellphones before or after school, students in grades 7-8 were allowed use during lunch, and high school students could use them during pass- ing periods and lunch,” Mark A. Murrell, CISD’s executive director of operations, said in an email. The district will now expand its policy to Path to new phone policy
Conroe ISD will expand its cellphone policy after Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1481 on June 20, which requires school districts to prohibit students from using personal communication devices such as cellphones and smartwatches on campus during the school day. What you need to know Each district’s device policy must outline disciplinary measures for violations, according to the bill. The bill provides exceptions for students with medical needs or special education accommoda- tions. Additionally, HB 1481 would not apply to devices supplied by school districts for academic purposes. A closer look “Overall, HB 1481 will have minimal impact on Conroe ISD, as the district already had an estab- lished electronic device policy. Under the existing
May 20: Texas Senate passes House Bill 1481 May 28: Texas Legislature sends to Gov. Greg Abbott to sign June 17: Conroe ISD approves local cellphone policy • K-12 ban on cellphones during school day • Extenuating circumstances allowed June 20: Abbott ocially signs bill Aug. 13: First day of new cellphone and electronic device policy districtwide in CISD
address cellphones and other electronic devices— such as smartwatches, headphones and earbuds— restricting their use in all grade levels to before or after school, with each campus having its own implementation plan and expectations. CISD will notify all families about the policy changes resulting from HB 1481, ocials said. District ocials stated they expect to receive further direction soon, as the Texas Education Agency is reviewing newly passed education bills to prepare guidance for school districts. “The district anticipates there will be many questions and concerns as the policy is
SOURCES: CONROE ISD, TEXAS LEGISLATURECOMMUNITY IMPACT
implemented,” Murrell said. “However, since this legislation has been passed into law, Conroe ISD is committed to complying with and enforcing its requirements.”
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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