MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Shelby County School board members unanimously approved the district’s new cell phone policy with little discussion about it during a meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was to discuss the policy regarding the possession and use of personal wireless communication devices by students during the school day.

This comes after Tennessee lawmakers gave their final approval to ban the use of cell phones in schools across the state back in March. The ban includes laptops, smart watches, and any other personal communication devices. 

MSCS district says devices must be powered off and stored out of sight in a designated location during the school day.

Appropriate storage areas include school-provided secured pouches, student’s purse, backpack, book bag, carry bag, locker, or vehicle, the district says. Devices may be taken if students are found using them during the school day.

However, the consequences will increase each time the student is found using their devices.

In the past week, MSCS sent an automated message to parents notifying them of a pending change in the policy. When asked how they would implement changes based on the new law, they sent the following message to WREG,

“The Board is responsible for adopting a district-wide policy that applies to all our schools. The referenced policy is currently awaiting adoption by the Board. Once adopted, each school will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the policy, including associated administrative rules and regulations.”