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Nashville School District debates state cellphone-pouch grant for grades 6–12
Summary
The district discussed a state grant to provide locking cellphone 'pouches' or locker systems for grades 6–12, weighing mental-health goals, safety and logistics; the superintendent said pouches have been ordered and the board will solicit stakeholder input before a final decision.
The Nashville School District on Monday discussed whether to take a state-funded program that would place locking pouches or locker sets in schools to keep student cellphones out of classrooms during the school day.
Superintendent Graham said the grant, announced in a July 2 letter and discussed on a statewide Zoom, is tied to a mental-health pilot and would reimburse districts "penny for penny" for the cost of magnetic pouches or locker systems. "Students and teachers and parents are facing more challenges than ever with the rise in phone use and...declining mental health," Graham said, quoting remarks by the governor and the commissioner.
Graham told the board the district has already placed an order for pouches from the vendor Yonder but stressed several operational questions remain: how pouches would be unlocked for students who leave campus for band or vocational classes, who would have authority to open pouches during the day, and how the system would work for high schools operating multiple schedules.
"If the phone and the pouch is gonna unlock at 3:00, what about the student that went to band at 1:30?" Graham said, noting the district is considering piloting the approach at the junior-high level first.
Board members and administrators also raised safety and equity concerns. One board participant noted that in some emergency situations a student’s phone has been the source of a 911 call, asking how locked devices would affect emergency response. Graham and other administrators said removing Wi‑Fi access can reduce in-school phone use but does not block cellular data.
Graham said the district plans to gather additional input from faculty, parents and campus leadership and to consult mental-health providers; he specifically referenced contacting Dr. Debbie Jones for further perspective. "Officially, we're gonna study it," Graham said. "We're not on a time crunch to have to make a decision in 5 days or 2 weeks or 10 days."
