CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A new state law tightening rules on technology use in elementary classrooms recently took effect, but the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System says it’s ahead of the game with changes made last school year.
More than a year after CMCSS adopted a phone “blackout” policy banning students from using cellphones during the day, Tennessee has enacted another technology-related law – one that limits instructional device use, such as laptops, in elementary classrooms to “minimize unnecessary screen time while preserving instructional effectiveness.” The new law took effect July 1.
CMCSS spokesperson Anthony Johnson told Clarksville Now the district already “proactively reduced technology use” in elementary schools in the spring of 2025.
From remote learning to reduced screen time in elementary schools
Johnson said in during the pandemic in 2020, students of all grade levels had been utilizing the district’s 1:1 devices, primarily laptop computers, with “nearly 40%” of families choosing remote learning that school year. He said laptop computer usage varied by classroom and subject, depending on teacher planning and student needs.
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Following the pandemic, CMCSS no longer allowed elementary school students to take the laptops home, but they continued using them in classrooms. In spring 2025, Johnson said the district’s data showed instructional technology use was “significantly lower than the average” in elementary schools, especially K-2.
He added that the data, combined with “parent feedback regarding screen time during foundational years,” led CMCSS to shift toward more traditional learning ahead of the new law. Johnson said the district stopped issuing 1:1 laptops for K-2 and adjusted technology usage throughout elementary schools, while middle school students still use laptops in class, and high school students can take theirs home.
CMCSS began utilizing “classroom sets in K-2 and a blended model in 3-5” in place of the laptops, according to Johnson.
“We shifted to a balanced, shared-technology model, which ensures students retain regular access to technology to build digital skills while re-centering daily instruction on hands-on, multi-sensory learning, fine motor development, and social collaboration,” he said.
Johnson added that professional development in recent months focused more on reinforcing hands-on instruction and developmentally appropriate use of technology in accordance with state law.
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