By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Despite Tennessee’s new cell phone policy in public schools, not much will change locally, according to our recent conversation with Director of Schools Chad Moorehead.
In March of this year, Tennessee lawmakers passed HB 932 / SB 897, requiring all public school districts and charter boards to adopt policies prohibiting student use of wireless communication devices during classroom instruction. There were exceptions for medical needs, disabilities, emergencies, and approved educational use.
That law took effect on July 1 across the state, but it gives school districts flexibility to enforce the phone ban either during instruction only or all day. Some districts like Memphis, instituted strict bans that require students to power off and store devices completely.
But in Moore County schools, not much will change.
“We already had policies in place that closely mirror the new law,” Director Moorehead told us. “Former MCHS Principal Dan Mooney created those policies.”
Mooney served in his role of MCHS principal for 11 years until his retirement in 2022.
According to the Use of Wireless Communication Devices Policy 6.312, students can use wireless communication devices such as phones, tablets, gaming devices, and wearable technology in certain limited circumstances.
At Moore County High School and Moore County Middle School, students may bring cell phones to school but must keep them turned off and stored during instructional time. Students are, however, allowed to use them during breaks.
At Lynchburg Elementary School, students may bring wireless devices to school, but they must remain turned off and stored for the entirety of the school day.
In general, students at both schools may use them in cases of emergency, or if authorized by a teacher. They may also use them if necessary for monitoring student’s health, if they are required by the student’s individual education program (IEP), or when “the device is being used by a student with a disability for the operation of assistive technology to increase, maintain, or improve the student’s functional capabilities.”
According to the policy, unauthorized use or improper storage could result in the device being confiscated until it can be returned to a parent or guardian. An offending student could also be subject to disciplinary action.
To review the complete Moore County Board of Education Policy, click here. •
About The Lynchburg Times
The Lynchburg Times is an independent, woman-owned newspaper rooted in the heart of southern middle Tennessee. Led by a Tulane-educated journalist with over two decades of experience covering this region, we shine a light on the people, politics, and cultural pulse of a changing South. From breaking news to slow storytelling, we believe local journalism should inform, empower, and preserve what makes this place unique. Supported by readers and community partners, we’re proud to be part of the new Southern narrative – one story at a time. [Support us here.]