Keep those cellular phones in your lockers or backpacks, kids.

Temple Independent School District students who inappropriately use cellular phones during the school day will now have to pay a $15 fee to get them back if they’re confiscated.

The change in the student code of conduct was voted on by board members during Monday night’s school board meeting.

“We’ve moved into a technological age which allows students to possess electronic instruments that can be used for cheating and to display and take inappropriate pictures,” John Hancock, TISD director of student services, said about student cellular phones. “School districts across the country right now are facing these issues. We’re no different.”

Students who use their phones during class time are considered in violation of district rules, according to Hancock.

“Obviously, we don’t want to tell students to leave their phones at home,” Hancock said. “They’re important for personal safety reasons when coming to and from school. But they’re not appropriate for use during instructional periods. We don’t want disruptions.”

Under the change, students will have up to 30 days to make a $15 payment to get their cellular phones back. In accordance with law, the district can only hold the phones for the 30-day time period.

Hancock said parents would be notified within two school days if their students have not received their confiscated phones at the end of the school day. He said that if a parent had not picked up the device by the time the 30-day time period expires, the device would be turned over to them for free or possibly the telecommunications company.

“Unfortunately, phones have become so cheap now that a lot of the times students will just go out and purchase another one if they have one confiscated,” Hancock said.

“We needed to address the situation in a way that will let them know we’re taking it seriously,” Hancock said. “We studied a number of other district policies, and modeled ours after them. Fines are not unique.”

During the board meeting, member Virginia Suarez stressed that she believed the new code will have to be enforced evenly by employees.

“We can’t have situations in classrooms where one teacher doesn’t follow the rule, but in another classroom, that teacher is,” Ms. Suarez said. “Things need to be enforced universally.”

Ms. Suarez said she hopes teachers would be held accountable for the devices they confiscated.

“The teachers need to be held responsible for the cell phones they take,” Ms. Suarez said. “They’re going to have to be educated and told what to do with them.”

Superintendent Dr. Robin Battershell said the school’s previous policy without a fee “had no teeth,” and was therefore “unenforceable.”

Board members unanimously approved the 2008-09 Student Code of Conduct during the board meeting. Hancock said the only change from the previous year was there is now language in the guide that will allow special education students participating in in-school suspension to receive instruction from their teachers.

In the past, students in ISS were staffed with a general education teacher. With the changes, special education students will now be able to be released from ISS to their special education teachers for instruction, and throughout the day special education teachers will visit the ISS classroom.