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Tuesday, November 3, 2026Nov 3

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Hamilton County school board members discuss cellphone use, grading practices

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Board Member Larry Grohn, R-East Ridge, asks a question during a school board agenda session in 2022.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Board Member Larry Grohn, R-East Ridge, asks a question during a school board agenda session in 2022. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Board Member Larry Grohn, R-East Ridge, asks a question during a school board agenda session in 2022.

Some Hamilton County school board members want to ensure the student cellphone use policy and grading practices are applied uniformly across the district.

Board Members Larry Grohn, R-East Ridge, and Rhonda Thurman, R-Hixson, said at Tuesday’s policy meeting they had concerns about whether the policies were implemented equitably at different schools.

Grohn specifically raised concerns about a grading practice in which students do not receive a grade lower than 50 in the grade book, which he said was in effect at some schools but not at others.

“I do not think it is equitable for some schools to be allowed to implement a standard different than what is allowed at other schools,” he said.