Education
By fall 2027, Washington students could be saying goodbye to phones and smart watches during the school day if Governor Bob Ferguson's proposed statewide cellphone ban becomes law.
The governor's announcement comes just days after Highline students shared their own thoughts on cellphone use with the School Board.
At the June 3 meeting, Highline's Superintendent Student Leadership Team presented results from a January survey of roughly 1,000 students. Their message was fairly simple: students want consistency.
Many described the frustration of one teacher strictly enforcing phone rules while another allows students to use their devices freely. If there is going to be a policy, students said, it should be clear and applied consistently.
But students also left plenty of room for flexibility.
Many high school students argued older students should continue to have access to their phones for communication with parents, schedules, translation tools and other practical reasons.
When board members asked whether the same should apply to younger students, the response was much quicker.
No.
Students said elementary and middle school students do not need phones during the school day because the devices are simply too addictive.
That created an interesting tension. Students wanted consistency. They wanted flexibility for themselves. And they wanted much stricter rules for younger kids.
Whether those distinctions ultimately matter remains to be seen.
Ferguson's proposal would apply statewide from kindergarten through 12th grade, requiring phones and smart devices to be put away from first bell to last bell. If lawmakers approve the plan, many of the details students debated could end up being decided in Olympia rather than by local districts.
Ferguson's office argues Washington has fallen behind other states on the issue. According to the governor's announcement, Washington currently receives an "F" for its statewide cellphone policy, even though roughly 75% of school districts already have some form of cellphone restrictions in place.
The timing is notable.
The student survey was conducted in January, five months before the June board presentation. Highline still does not have a districtwide cellphone policy or a proposal before the board. According to a district news release published June 10, officials plan to continue gathering feedback and studying the issue.
Meanwhile, Seattle Public Schools implemented a stricter cellphone policy about a month ago, and Ferguson is already pushing for a statewide requirement by the 2027-28 school year.
This debate is not happening just in Washington. Across the country, school districts and parents are suing major tech companies, arguing that social media platforms were intentionally designed to keep kids scrolling, clicking and coming back for more. More than 1,200 school districts have filed lawsuits against companies including Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube.
For now, Highline is still studying the issue.
The state appears ready to move much faster.
A Cause For Concern: A First-Hand Look at the Education Technology Debate
Our recent Community Conversation Series focused on growing technology in education, data privacy, some of the harmful consequences to our children’s brains, and questions around what safeguards are in place.
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