Restrictions during ‘instructional hours’ would be required in the 2026-27 school year.
LACEY, Wash. — School districts could be forced to restrict cell phone use for students under bills introduced in Olympia.
Senate Bill 5346 would require the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to examine cell phone bans currently in place across the state and recommend recommendations for districts.
According to the bill, school districts would need to develop policies “restricting student mobile device use during instructional hours” by the start of the 2026-27 school year.
The Senate bill, and a House version, House Bill 1122, are awaiting committee hearing assignments.
”Test scores are not rebounding post-pandemic I think distraction has to play some role in that,” said bill sponsor Sen. Marko Liias, (D) Mukilteo.
Liias said districts would be allowed to make exceptions for certain subjects or student populations who might need to access their phones in class.
He said it’s not clear if the state will recommend students lock up their phones when they arrive on campus or only put them away during class time.
”Let’s share with every district the strategies that have worked, the strategies that aren’t, so that as they craft their local policies they’re doing it with the best data, the best evidence they can, so that it actually works,” Liias said.
North Thurston Public Schools established an expectation called “off and away all day” for students at the start of the current school year, at the request of teachers.
Ray Nelson, North Thurston Education Association president, said the union will survey teachers later this winter, but he said teachers tell him fewer students are using phones in the classroom and his members are happy about that.
”The evidence is really clear, that this is doing something to kid’s brains, and so we just felt compelled to try to start this,” Nelson said.
Envision Career Academy sophomore Judy Hall said she’s noticed a big difference when it comes to cell phones on campus this year, compared to last.
”Having no phones, everyone is kind of more engaged in getting their better grades,” Hall said.
Senior James Owen said most students leave their phones off while at school.
“There is still those outliers, where they’ll try to sneak and be on their phone, and the teacher will have to tell them to be off their phone,” Owen said.
