More than 30% of Washington school districts have no restrictions on student cell phone use.
Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has been pushing for a statewide ban on cell phones during the school day. The legislature did not pass such a ban, instead opting to require Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to study the issue.
“For years, educators, researchers, families, and experts in child development have been sounding the alarm about the damaging effects of screen time on youth learning and mental health,” Reykdal said Wednesday. “Our students don’t need another study — they need us to act.”
OSPI survey: 31% of WA school districts have no cell phone policy
Over the spring, OSPI surveyed school districts about their mobile device policies. 31% have no policy.
“About 44% reported that each school within the district may adopt its own policy, leading to fragmented implementation within individual communities,” OSPI said in a news release. “In OSPI’s survey this spring, 57% of school districts with policies to limit mobile device use reported a decrease in disruptions during instructional time, and 50% reported an increase in student engagement. In addition, 40% of districts with a policy reported an increase in interactions between students.”
“What we hear from students, families, and educators is that this kind of policy is most effective when it is implemented consistently,” Reykdal said. “From all schools within the district to all classes within the school, there are fewer hurdles when the expectations for students are clear and uniform.”
‘Away for the Day’: Reykdal plans bill requiring all WA districts to ban cell phones
Reykdal plans to propose a bill in the 2027 legislative session that would require all districts to adopt an “away for the day” policy. That would mean students would either have to leave their phones at home or store them for the entire school day.
Last month, Governor Bob Ferguson and Reykdal called for a statewide ban on student phone use from bell to bell in K-12 public schools.
“I’ll be proposing an away-for-the-day ban on cellphones in schools, meaning that from the first bell to the last, students will not have access to their cellphones,” Ferguson said at a news conference.
Officials believe cellphones are a major deterrent to learning.
“In our schools, digital distractions are causing kids to miss what’s written on the whiteboard. They’re focusing more on memes than on math,” Ferguson said. “No single policy can solve every challenge in education, but this one will make a big difference in our students’ social and academic engagement.”
WA could join nearly 40 states with school cell phone restrictions
If a ban is passed, Washington would join nearly 40 states and the District of Columbia in banning or restricting on-campus cellphone use, according to Education Week.
“I won’t let Washington be the last state in the nation to step up for our kids,” Ferguson stated.
A detailed proposal is expected to be announced by Sept. 15. Ferguson expects to prefile the Governor’s request bill the day prefiling opens on Dec. 7. School districts would implement the policy in September 2027.
Opponents cite safety, accountability concerns over WA school cell phone ban
In January, high school senior Julie Che testified against a bill to restrict cell phone use during class time. She said she was not allowed to have a phone until her junior year.
“One of my main concerns when I did not have a phone was if I would be able to contact my parents in an emergency,” she said. “With the current prevalence of school shootings in public schools, it scares me to think about the possibility of being unable to contact anyone.”
“Cell phones enable students to take videos of teacher and student misconduct,” said John Axtell, who also testified against the bill.
He said phones also allow students to be in touch with their parents, and for parents to know where their children are at all times.
This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Katrina Guischard, KIRO Newsradio
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.