New Report Says Tennessee Classroom Phone Policy Doesn’t Go Far Enough
Tennessee Today

(phonefreeschoolsreport.org)

The Phone-Free Schools State Report Card gave Tennessee a score of 72.5 for its policy on cell phone use in schools. Tennessee falls into the ‘C’ category because state policy only restricts cell phone use during instructional time, whereas higher-scoring states have enacted bell-to-bell no cell policies.

The report notes Tennessee’s strength as “requiring that a school district’s personal device use policy establishes a process through which parents or guardians will be contacted if there is an emergency at their student’s school.” On the other hand, it reports that Tennessee could be better served by “strengthening its law by requiring a bell-to-bell policy that stipulates inaccessible storage.”

Current state policy bans the use of wireless communication devices during “instructional time”; however, outside of that, there are no restrictions at the state level regarding cell phone usage during other parts of the school day. This policy was signed into law by Governor Lee in 2025, placing the burden on school boards to make sure that the bans are implemented.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Marsha Blackburn has made phone-free schools a key issue on her campaign, launching her bell-to-bell no cell plan in a campaign ad prior to the primary election. In the ad, Blackburn lays out her policy, stating, “My plan: bell-to-bell no cell. No excuses. No exceptions… No more posting. No scrolling. Here in Tennessee schools, we’re going to learn.” Blackburn’s proposal would extend the ban to the entirety of the school day, including breaks, study halls, and lunch.

(X/@VoteMarsha)

In justification of the stricter policy, Blackburn’s campaign website cites a study by Phones In Focus that found that “where phones are stored during the school day may matter as much as when students are forbidden from using them, and in terms of teacher satisfaction: the stricter the policy, the better.”

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have passed bell-to-bell no cell legislation, while seven other states have legislation similar to that of Tennessee that limits phone use during instructional time.