Cannon County school board tables purchase of student phone cases as policy debate continues

The Cannon County Board of Education on July 29 voted to table a proposed purchase of student phone cases and related equipment until an August 14 meeting while the board and speakers continued debate about the district’s wireless communication device policy.

The board voted 5–0 to table the purchase. The motion to table was made by Mister Nell and seconded by Mister Mullins. Board member Miss Curtis, Mister McMackins, Miss Mullins, Miss Thomas and Miss Rebecca voted aye.

The discussion included public comment and staff reports about how a policy requiring student devices to be turned off and stored for the school day would be implemented. A high school student who identified herself as Maggie urged the board to invest in teacher training and incentives to increase student engagement rather than focusing on stricter phone restrictions. “If we put money towards training teachers or giving them bonuses… that would help the teachers,” Maggie said.

Several speakers who identified themselves as educators described how removing phones from classrooms affected instruction. “When phones are removed from my classroom, I can do my job,” an educator said. That speaker said devices were used to record other students and cause classroom disruption.

School staff described three vendor quotes for clear pouches intended to hold student phones. The board heard that the lowest quoted option (from an online vendor) was roughly $7,000 cheaper than a mid-range quote; the middle option was described as about $18,000 and characterized by staff as “more reasonable.” A staff member said the mid-range quote included classroom-level locks so teachers could unlock cases as needed; one quoted warranty for a vendor was three years.

Staff also said the district would not necessarily pay from the general fund for the purchase: the funds mentioned would come from a specific account held by Stephanie (not further specified in the record). The board discussed implementation scenarios: locking cases at classroom level so cases would be immediately available if needed vs. collecting devices centrally at the start of the day. Staff said classroom-level storage was preferred because it would be less disruptive and would allow quick access in an emergency.

Legal context was raised during the discussion. A speaker read provisions of a recent Tennessee law (Title 49, Chapter 6) that requires local boards to adopt wireless communication device policies that, with enumerated exceptions, prohibit student use of devices during instructional time and require schools to publish their policies on district websites. Board members discussed ensuring the district policy matched state law and that any purchase would be consistent with the adopted handbook language, which says devices “must be turned off and stored for the entirety of the school day.”

Questions from board members included whether all parents would receive emergency notifications if student access to devices is restricted and who would be liable for broken cases. Staff pointed to handbook language stating the district and its employees “assume no responsibility or liability for the loss or damage to any student’s personal communication device.”

Given the unresolved implementation, cost, and liability questions, the board tabled the purchase for additional review and asked staff to bring policy language and cost details to the August meeting.

Ending: The board asked staff to add the phone-case purchase and the wireless communication device policy to the August workshop package for more detailed discussion and to provide clarified funding sources and vendor warranties before a final purchasing decision.