Nashville School District reorganizes board for 2024-2025 school year
Monday night, the Nashville Board met and reorganized by electing Tem Gunter as the board president, Jerry Wilson as vice-president and David Hillard as secretary for the 2024-2025 school year.
Following the board reorganization, Superintendent Doug Graham provided information to the board concerning a cell phone policy grant.
Graham stated on July 2nd, he received a letter from the Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders inviting superintendents to apply for a grant that will provide funding for the purchase of pouches for students to store their cell phones in during the school day.
Graham explained the grant was part of a mental health pilot program. He said the grant would not only fund phone-free schools, but would increase access to mental health assistance.
According to Oliva, a new entitled “The Anxious Generation,” shows compelling evidence that students, particularly those in middle school, are getting severe anxiety and depression because of social media and constantly ‘being connected.’ The book goes on to say that the average teenager is spending nearly five-hours a day on social media and experts say spending three or more hours a day on social media doubles a child’s risk of mental health issues.
According to the letter, since smartphones have become widespread, suicide rates have tripled among young teens, self-harm among girls has gone up nearly 200 percent and depression has increased 150 percent among teenagers.
Oliva said the grant program is open to any district that’s interested in participating.
Graham said he has ordered pouches from a vendor called Yondr. He said students will place their phones in the pouch at the start of the day and will be unlocked at the end of the school day by pressing the pouch against a device that will be stationed next to the exit.
Graham said he would recommend using the system on the junior high campus, but admitted there are details that would need to be worked out. He also said he did not know when the pouches will arrive.
No action was taken by the board and more discussions will be held in the future.
