Governor Proposes Statewide Phone-Free Schools Policy as Highline Continues to Weigh Its Own Rules

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson released details Thursday of a proposed statewide ban on student cellphone use during the school day, a move that could directly affect how Highline Public Schools handles an issue it has been studying for much of the past year.

Under Ferguson’s proposed Phone-Free Schools Act, students who bring phones or other smart devices to school would be required to store them away during the school day, such as in a classroom caddy, lockable pouch or school office.

Exceptions would be allowed for students with medical needs, IEPs or 504 plans, as well as some other circumstances.

The proposal would also prohibit schools from suspending students for cellphone violations during at least the first year of implementation.

If approved by the Legislature, the statewide policy would take effect in September 2027.

“The research is clear — school-day phone use has a negative impact on student learning, ability to focus, attendance and mental and emotional health,” Ferguson said in announcing the proposal.

Highline has been studying the issue

For Highline, the governor’s announcement comes while the district is still considering what its own cellphone policy should look like.

Highline’s Superintendent’s Student Leadership Team launched a districtwide survey in January, gathering feedback from students, families and staff about cellphone use in schools.

Students presented their recommendations to the School Board June 3. They acknowledged that phones can interfere with learning and called for more consistent expectations across classrooms and schools. They also urged the district to consider legitimate uses for phones, including translation, accessibility, research and communication with families.

But Highline has not yet adopted a districtwide policy.

When The Highline Journal asked the district about the status of that work and what they would do with the governor’s proposal on Sept. 15, Chief Communications Officer Tove Tupper said Highline was looking to the state before determining its next steps.

“We are waiting to see what comes from the state to help inform next steps,” Tupper said. “In the meantime, each school will continue to follow its own cell phone guidelines.”

That means cellphone expectations can currently vary from one Highline school to another.

Meanwhile, several surrounding districts have already adopted districtwide restrictions. Federal Way, Renton and Seattle are among districts with policies limiting when students can access phones during the school day.

State proposal could change Highline’s next steps

Ferguson’s announcement now provides some of the state direction Highline said it was waiting for.

If the Legislature approves the proposal, districts would have a statewide requirement that phones and smart devices be stored away from students during the school day. Districts would still need to determine how to implement and enforce those rules locally.

Ferguson plans to prefile the legislation when prefiling opens Dec. 7.

For Highline, the immediate question is whether the district will move forward with its own districtwide policy before the Legislature acts or continue allowing individual schools to set their own guidelines.

The Highline Journal will follow up as we learn more about how Highline decides to proceed.