Senate Bill 2310 would prohibit screen use in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms in Tennessee.
By Steve Mehling – WSMV News Channel 4 – Nashville, Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A bill working its way through the Tennessee legislature would ban digital devices from elementary classrooms across the state.
Senate Bill 2310 would prohibit students in kindergarten through fifth grade from accessing digital devices at school, prevent teachers from using digital devices to provide instruction and bar electronic testing for those grade levels.
JC Bowman with Professional Educators of Tennessee said teachers and parents have raised concerns that students are spending too much time learning electronically rather than traditionally.
“The bottom line was most of the kids were spending too much time on the internet… we took away cell phones… we need to take a hard look at screens,” Bowman said.
The bill defines digital devices as electronic hardware used for instructional purposes that can access, process, store or transmit data.
The restrictions would apply to all local education agencies and public charter schools that serve students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Exemptions included
The legislation includes several exemptions. It would not apply to public virtual schools.
The bill also would not supersede schools’ obligations to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act.
State-required assessments would also be exempt, including universal screeners adopted by the state board of education, the Tennessee universal screener, dyslexia screenings, state-adopted benchmark assessments and any other state-required assessments.
According to pediatricians, excessive screen time could be costly for student development.
“We know kids learn more when they actually read a book and write. So reading and writing, not so much on computers,” Bowman said.
Bowman said the goal is to find balance.
“We need to make sure we don’t go too far extreme on either side. We want some healthy balance,” he said.
Parents shared concerns on both sides and appear split on the topic, particularly when it comes to students with disabilities.
“There’s kids that have learning disabilities, particularly ESL kids who really need the tools, we need to make sure we make accommodations for that,” Bowman said.
Bowman said the bill could eliminate virtual learning days since students would not have the tools to participate.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously and now heads to the House to be voted on. The House version is House Bill 2393, sponsored by Rep. Reneau.
The legislation would take effect July 1, 2026, if passed and signed into law.
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