SPOKANE — As the school year comes to an end, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson proposes change for the next one with a statewide cellphone ban in all public schools.
The “away for the day” policy would ban cellphones and smart devices from the first bell to the last bell in all K-12 public schools. Ferguson hopes to implement the policy by fall 2027.
“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.
Right now, almost every kid who attends a public school in Spokane County already follows a no-cellphone policy, but the restrictions look different depending on which school a child attends.
Spokane Public Schools has had their no-cellphone policy for two years. Elementary and middle school students follow a bell-to-bell cellphone ban, meaning no use of cellphones during school hours. High school students can use phones during lunch and passing periods. The proposed statewide ban would not allow that.
Dr. Adam Swinyard, Spokane Public Schools superintendent, said teachers support the current policy.
“The response from teachers have been overwhelmingly positive. I mean, I heard a middle school teacher tell me, a couple weeks back that schools feel like they did 15 or 20 years ago,” Swinyard said.
Governor Ferguson was asked about school emergencies when students might need their phones.
“That’s a legitimate perspective. But I think the overwhelming majority of parents understand that while it would be nice to be in touch with your kid minute by minute during the school day, what’s best for that child is to have a teacher who can actually teach in the classroom,” Ferguson said.
Right now, there is no specific framework of what the cellphone ban would look like for students. At some schools, students store their devices in classroom pouches. In others, like SPS, they are asked to store them away in their backpack.
Governor Ferguson plans to announce a detailed proposal by Sept. 15 and hopes to implement the ban in Fall of 2027.
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