At Robert Eagle Staff Middle School in North Seattle, something is notably missing as kids walk through the halls, changing classes: cellphones.

The school has required students to lock their phones away during school hours since implementing their “away-for-the-day” policy in 2024.

Gov. Bob Ferguson used the school as a backdrop for a press conference Tuesday to announce that he wants to see a cellphone ban in all Washington state public schools. The majority of states in the U.S. now have a type of cellphone ban or restrictions in place.

“In our schools, digital distractions are causing kids to miss what’s written on the white board. They’re focusing more on memes than on math,” he said.

In Washington, many individual public schools have cellphone policies, but there is no broad ban coming from the state.

A recent study from the University of Washington shows that, on average, teens spend more than an hour a day on their cellphones while at school.

No phones at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School

Zach Stowell, principal at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, said at the press conference that he’s seen positive changes after taking students’ phones away.

“The classrooms are more vibrant, students are engaging, there’s more social time,” he said. “At the end of the day … our test scores are up, and I’m seeing kids smile at rates that we’ve never seen before.”

Zoe Taggart, a seventh grader at the school, said the policy has also helped her outside of school hours.

“After school, everybody’s hanging out with each other, and then again, it’s still phones away, because we know there’s better things to do,” Taggart said.

Washington educators advocate for phone bans

Some educators have been pushing lawmakers for phone bans in schools.

The Washington Education Association, which represents 84,000 educators in the state, passed a resolution in April in support of a statewide cellphone ban in public schools.

Larry Delaney, the organization’s president, said he’s proud of the work state educators do on a daily basis.

“Their creativity is unmatched, but no amount of ‘gamifying’ or enhancing lessons will off the stimulation that the latest TikTok trend will. I’m 57 years old, and I find myself getting sucked in,” he said.

During the legislative session earlier this year, state lawmakers approved studying how cellphone use affects kids during school hours. Ferguson said that’s not enough to protect students.

He said he and his team will meet with students and educators across the state to discuss the policy and hear feedback.

Ferguson expects to announce a detailed proposal by Sept. 15. If approved by the Washington state Legislature, it would be implemented by the start of the 2027-2028 school year.

Adia White from the Northwest News Network contributed to this report.

Freddy Monares is a reporter with KNKX. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/10/washington-state-cellphone-ban-school/