Sign up for Chalkbeat Tennessee’s free newsletter to keep up with statewide education policy and Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Following a fast-tracked school board vote on Tuesday, Memphis-Shelby County students will face a more stringent cellphone ban when classes begin next week.
School board members voted unanimously to approve the ban, which explicitly permits Memphis schools to confiscate devices and employ other disciplinary measures, including suspensions, in response to student violations.
It also adds smartwatches to the list of devices that need to be “powered off and out of sight” during school hours. Some board members previously expressed concern about how students would be disciplined if caught with their devices.
No further discussion followed Tuesday’s vote.
The new student cellphone policy replaces one that the Memphis district first put in place in 2010, and it follows a new state law that requires all school systems to adopt a ban on “wireless communication devices” ahead of the 2025-26 school year. The state law mandates exceptions for students with medical conditions or disabilities.
Tennessee’s law comes amid a wave of state legislation across the country to curb cellphone use in schools, as research grows on the learning and health impacts for young students.
The legislation leaves all other details about how the ban should be enforced, including what devices to include and where students have to keep them during the school day, up to local school boards.
According to the new district policy, students will be required to place their powered-off devices in “designated locations” during the school day, which will be determined by the superintendent or a school leader. Those locations could include:
- Individual secured pouches
- Student lockers
- Backpacks or purses
- Students’ personal cars
MSCS has yet to provide additional guidance about how the new policy will be enforced.
The district’s decision to include smartwatches on the list of banned devices was the result of an amendment proposed by board member Michelle McKissack last week.
Stephanie Cole-Farris is the clinical services manager for Memphis’ chapter of Youth Villages, a statewide youth mental health nonprofit. She said there needs to be a “pilot phase” for students as they adjust to the state directive, since the district’s cell phone policy wasn’t consistently enforced in years past.
“Our children are born into and brought up at a time where we are very much reliant on devices throughout the day,” she said. “Not having access to that could create stress, anxiety, and overall, just a feeling of hopelessness and being overwhelmed.”
Cole-Farris also stressed the need for district leaders to develop a robust communication plan for all parties involved, especially in the case of emergencies.
Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond said last week that his team is working on such a plan.
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
