Students at Seagoville High School and Crandall High School face the same basic restriction: personal phones cannot be used throughout the school day. But Dallas ISD and Crandall ISD differ in storage arrangements, confiscation procedures and escalating consequences.
Both districts implement Texas House Bill 1481, which requires restrictions on student use of personal communication devices on school property during the school day. The requirement extends beyond phones to devices capable of digital communication, including smartwatches and personal tablets.
District-issued instructional devices are excluded from the law’s definition of personal communication devices.
Where phones must go
Dallas ISD’s districtwide guidance calls for secondary students to store devices in locking phone pouches, opened at dismissal using a magnetic unlocking device. Elementary schools collect phones in homeroom and secure them until the day ends.
Crandall permits phones stored powered off in a pocket or bag, or voluntarily deposited in the office before school. Devices must remain out of sight.
Neither approach gives students permission to check messages during lunch or passing periods. Keeping a phone nearby and having permission to use it are different things.
Families should obtain their campus’s arrival and dismissal instructions, especially information about pouch handling or office storage.
Confiscation rules differ
The districts publish these escalating consequences:
| Violation | Dallas ISD retrieval fee | Crandall ISD published consequence |
|---|---|---|
| First | No fee; parent/guardian pickup | Confiscation, parent contact; student retrieval after school or before first period next day |
| Second | $5 | Parent pickup and one full day of in-school suspension |
| Third | $10 | Parent pickup, $15 storage fee and in-school suspension |
| Fourth | $15 | Parent pickup, $15 storage fee and in-school suspension |
| Fifth and beyond | $15 per confiscation | Fifth: possible discretionary DAEP or multiple days of in-school suspension |
Dallas’s fees accompany disciplinary procedures; paying does not necessarily end the matter. Its device-free guidance identifies confiscation as a Level II offense and describes Reset Center placement for a first violation at campuses with those centers.
Crandall’s FAQ also mentions a general $15 storage fee, creating ambiguity alongside its escalating schedule. Families should confirm the applicable charge with the campus.
Exceptions require an established basis
Texas Education Agency guidance requires exceptions when device use is:
- Required by an Individualized Education Program, Section 504 plan or similar plan.
- Authorized by a qualified physician for a documented medical need.
- Necessary to meet a legal health or safety requirement or implement school safety protocols.
Dallas expressly identifies medical monitoring, such as diabetes tracking, and directs families to document the need with campus health staff. Crandall directs families to its handbook and code for accommodation procedures.
These exceptions concern a student’s particular needs. They do not create unrestricted permission to text, browse social media or use unrelated apps.
Dallas also states that ordinary teacher permission for a classroom task does not override the restriction on personal devices. Schools provide approved instructional technology instead.
How students can reach family
Dallas students with urgent needs can use the front-office phone or ask staff for assistance. Crandall also directs communication through the office and prohibits personal messaging on district Chromebooks.
During emergencies, Crandall says staff may permit family contact when safe. It also says genuine emergencies without accessible staff will be evaluated according to the circumstances.
Families can reduce confusion by arranging appointments, transportation changes and pickup plans before school begins. Save the campus office number and keep emergency contacts current.
Before and after school
Dallas permits personal-device use before the first bell and after dismissal unless campus rules impose additional restrictions. Crandall permits use after the final bell.
Students should ask about any separate campus or activity requirements rather than assume that one district’s procedures apply at the other school.
For families needing an exception, the useful next step is to contact campus health staff or the appropriate educational-plan team. For a confiscated phone, request the written consequence, retrieval instructions and applicable fee.
