Aubrey ISD updated the student handbook and code of conduct for the 2025-26 school year following recent legislative updates.
The largest change to the handbook is tied to House Bill 1481. The bill states districts are to create policies restricting students from using phones and other electronics during the school day.
“We've chosen to allow possession on campus but prevent use, which means it can be powered off in their backpack, not on their person, along with all the other communication devices,” Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor said.
Students who don’t follow the policy will receive detention and a parent conference for the first two infractions and ISS for the third offense.
“No discipline is black and white because we gotta consider the intent, the kids' discipline history, the kids' ability to understand wrongness and their actions,” Saylor said.
The student code of conduct was also amended to reflect updated policies following H.B. 6.
“There are some major changes to what is considered mandatory expulsion,” Director of Student Services Jewelisha Jefferson said. “Students under grade three, if they have threatening behavior, they can now be suspended or placed in ISS placement.”
There is no longer a restriction on the number of days a student can be in ISS as long as the student is reviewed every 10 days. Additionally, the consequence for vaping is now 10 days minimum in ISS.
“Before, a kid could have an e-cig and go to DAEP, but they have a Marlboro [cigarette] and they go to ISS,” Saylor said. “They’ve taken that out, and that’s helpful.”
Owens Middle School is set to open for the upcoming school year and is $3 million below budget. Upcoming construction projects include administration building renovations, high school renovations and elementary school No. 5.
“Middle School No. 2 is about to move to completed projects,” Director of Operations Matthew Gore said. “Architects have completed punch walks, and teacher move-in started last Monday.”
State funding is falling behind where the district originally budgeted but is set to catch up in September.
“I am nervous about this year,” Assistant Superintendent Eric Hough said. “Y'all asked two months ago where we were, and I told you I was cautiously optimistic. I'm more cautious and less optimistic.”
The district is over $200,000 short in federal money because of the 2023 audit by the federal government.
“They made some changes to how those things were calculated, and they had paid us above what they thought they owed us,” Hough said. “We appealed it. It was not successful.”
The board plans to host a public meeting on Aug. 20 to further discuss tax increases and budget amendments.
“This year, everything has come in lower than I expected it to,” Hough said. “It's going to take a little more effort than it had in the past. I'm not saying we will be in deficit. I'm saying I'm going to work harder to try and not have that happen.”
