FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Williamson County School Board revisited its cell phone policy Monday night as parents and students offered opposing views on whether to expand restrictions beyond classroom time.
Tennessee lawmakers passed a cell phone ban during classroom time in all schools this spring, but the law allowed districts to adjust their policies. Some parents recommended a full ban during school hours to address what experts consider a growing crisis.
“Scrolling is not resting. It’s stimulating and exhausting,” one parent said during the meeting. “Lunch period is not just downtime. It is developmental time.”
Students defend current policy
Three high school students spoke at the meeting, urging board members to maintain the current policy that allows high school students to use phones during lunch. They stressed concerns about communication and safety.
“We don’t get any other breaks, not even recess. Taking our phones during the one non-academic time is ridiculous,” one student said.
Another student focused on emergency situations: “School shootings are real, lockdowns are real, and the parents and the fears they feel in these moments are real. I ask every parent in this room, would you want your child’s last message to you taken away?”
One parent argued phones serve as educational tools, saying, “These devices are a tool. A tool that our children need to learn to use responsibly in an educational setting.”
Parents cite mental health concerns
Parents argued phones are linked to harmful effects on teens, including suicide, depression, and anxiety.
“I wish smartphones could add convenience and provide logistics like they do, without creating a dozen more problems,” one parent said.
One student said board members’ use of cell phones during meetings was hypocritical. She suggested extending phone restrictions to school board meetings, saying, “You cannot call it a distraction in the classroom during lunch and a convenience in this room to use a phone. Therefore, I believe we should expand and have this policy apply to Williamson County school board meetings as well.”
The board passed the amendment on second reading. WSMV4 has reached out to WCS to learn if it needs a final vote before it is enacted, as well as what the secure storage would look like for students’ phones.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
