The new school year is around the bend! As you prepare to send your kids off, several new public school changes are taking place related to new state laws that went into effect on July 1, 2025. These changes will impact your child’s school experience this coming year. Here’s what’s different and why it matters to your family:
Public School Changes This Year
Cell Phone Use in Schools
A new Tennessee law requires all public school districts to crack down on digital distractions — banning cell phones, laptops, smartwatches, and other devices during class time. Backed by overwhelming bipartisan support, the legislation marks a major shift in how tech is handled in the classroom. School districts are required to set clear rules limiting or even banning students from using phones during class time. In Williamson County, for instance, all students in grades K – 12 are allowed to have a cell phone in school throughout the day, but they must be switched “off” during school hours. Metro Nashville Public Schools and Rutherford County Schools are implementing similar policies.
Exceptions include:
- Emergencies
- Health needs or disabilities
- Educational use (if approved by the teacher)
Schools must also have systems in place to keep parents informed during emergencies, even with phone limits in place.
Preferred Names & Pronouns: Parental Consent Required
A new law allows families to take legal action if a school uses a student’s preferred name or pronouns without parental permission. This applies to both school staff and other public employees. The law declares that students, teachers, employees or contractors who work with public schools are not required to “use the preferred name of a student, teacher, employee, or contractor of a public school” if “the individual’s preferred name is not the individual’s legal name or a derivative thereof.”
More School Choice: Education Freedom Act Expansion
The Education Freedom Act now offers scholarships of around $7,000 per student to help qualifying families pay for private school tuition. About 20,000 Tennessee students are now eligible.
School Safety Updates
New measures for public school changes include:
- Harsher penalties for making threats of mass violence
- Stronger building security standards for new or remodeled schools
Curriculum & Instruction Changes
- Internet Safety: Students in grades 6 – 12 can no longer use the school’s internet for social media use
- Grading: A 10-point grading scale (similar to many college systems) will now apply to grades 9 – 12
- Hybrid Learning: Schools can use up to four days of hybrid learning (mix of in-person and online) during dangerous weather
- Girls’ Sports: Students who are biologically male will not be allowed to participate in girls’ sports in K–12 public schools
- Recess: Students in grades K – 5 will now receive 40 minutes a day of unstructured free time (recess)
These updates aim to address student focus, safety, parental rights and educational flexibility. If you have questions about how these changes affect your child or their school, it’s a great time to reach out to your local district or school administrators.
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