Students and parents call for cell‑phone access and fewer assessments during Hamilton County Schools work session

Hamilton County Board of Education work session — A student and parent volunteers used the board’s public comment period to press the district on two school‑level policies: cell‑phone access for students and the volume of school assessments, and to urge protection of special education supports during budget cuts.

Mabry Connor, a sixth‑grade musical theater student at CCA Center for Creative Arts, told the board she supports allowing students to bring phones and wearable devices to school so they can communicate with family when transportation plans change and to manage medical needs. “For children with chronic illnesses, having a phone handy could be the difference between safety and danger,” Connor said, describing how her watch has sometimes provided critical information about pick‑up changes. Connor added she agreed devices should not be distractions during class but said they are important for safety and for students with health conditions such as type‑1 diabetes.

Tammy Barnes, a volunteer with Public School Strong, urged the board to reduce what she described as “excessive testing” that she said consumes instructional time and imposes financial and emotional costs on students and teachers. Barnes asked the board to consider consolidating benchmarks, for example to “possibly one midyear benchmark” in preparation for TCAP end‑of‑year testing. Barnes also said she opposed cuts to exceptional education staff and suggested the district examine central office reductions before reducing school‑level supports.

Why this matters: Student device rules intersect with student safety and health; assessment schedules shape classroom time and teacher workload. Both topics were raised in the context of an ongoing budget review and proposed staffing changes that commenters said could reduce supports for students with disabilities.

Board procedure and follow-up: Chair Karen Smith reminded public commenters of a board requirement to state name and address when addressing the board; the board noted it would revisit its public comment procedures. The board did not take immediate policy votes on device rules or assessment schedules during the session; members and district staff said they would continue budget discussions in committee and consider agenda additions.

Ending: The work session paused for a teacher recognition; speakers and board members said they would continue to follow up on device policy and testing concerns in committee and future meetings.