Seattle Public Schools dials in new cell-phone policy starting Monday

Starting Monday, Seattle Public Schools will implement a new cell-phone policy for students. According to the announcement sent tonight, it boils down to:

Grade Span-Specific Rules

“Off and Away for the Day” Rule in Grades K–8: Phones are off and stored away for the full school day, with no access during instruction, passing periods, or lunch.

“No Cell Bell to Bell” Rule in Grades 9–12: Phones are off and away during all instructional time. Students may have limited access during lunch and passing periods, supporting responsible device use and digital citizenship while keeping phones out of the classroom.

Exceptions: Students who require access to personal devices for medical needs or as part of a documented IEP or Section 504 accommodation will continue to be supported.

The announcement notes some schools already have strict phone policies; Chief Sealth International High School launched one in 2023.

SLJ April 29, 2026 (7:52 pm)

Great news!

AJ April 29, 2026 (8:23 pm)

About time! I know parents freak out about ‘in an emergency how will I contact my child’. Every generation prior to cell phones figured it out.

Big B April 29, 2026 (10:00 pm)

Very good, now please take back the laptops.

KWest Seattle April 29, 2026 (10:18 pm)

Agree!! They cause more problems and distractions than do good.

WS98 April 29, 2026 (10:02 pm)

FINALLY!! It’s many years overdue.

JG in PR April 29, 2026 (10:04 pm)

Weird to make the change in May. I’m not against the concept, but think they’d have an easier time enforcing it if they launched the 26-27 school year with the new policy.

KWest Seattle April 29, 2026 (10:20 pm)

I think the new superintendent is making big changes and I am here for all of it so far. Definitely long overdue on the cell phones and waiting until next school year is like waiting to start your diet on Monday.

Teacher April 29, 2026 (10:19 pm)

How will this be enforced? What do teachers do when HS students have their phones out?

Mike April 30, 2026 (5:44 am)

Take the device, turn it off, hold onto it for the rest of class. If behavior continues over again, they go to the principal for further discipline discussion. Students aren’t allowed to have many things at school and anything that’s distracting from class should be dealt with.
- k April 30, 2026 (8:35 am)
  
  Yeah, you’re definitely not a teacher. It’s not 1950, you don’t just “send kids to the principal” when they break a rule. Teachers are expected to keep classes orderly and disciplined, with little to no backup from the school administration.
- Frog April 30, 2026 (9:56 am)
  
  Strange but common how people have no understanding of the current reality within schools. I suspect this new policy is intended only to please parents and activists who have jumped on a trendy new anti-tech bandwagon, but will be quietly ignored and have almost no effect on WSHS. Teachers already had the option to ban phones in their classes, if they wanted. Announcing new rules you have no will or means to enforce just encourages a general contempt for rules.
  - Mellow Kitty April 30, 2026 (3:14 pm)
    
    So. You’d be okay with a doctor who only passed because of Google? Let’s hope the surgery room has good wifi. Good luck with that.
Also a teacher April 30, 2026 (7:32 am)

Yeah…. this has been the policy at every school I have worked in for over a decade. It still comes down to teachers being willing to engage in power struggles with students over personal devices. This is a systemic problem that requires much more than just a written rule to solve.

WSDUDEMAN April 29, 2026 (10:42 pm)

Great. Overdue for sure. Now let’s back to teaching reading, reading comprehension and writing skills.

Lagartija Nick April 30, 2026 (9:24 am)

Just curious, what exactly do you think they’re teaching in lieu of reading, reading comprehension and writing?

Mellow Kitty April 30, 2026 (6:04 am)

I recently witnessed a student Googling answers during a test. I’m all for the new rules.

Tito April 30, 2026 (12:21 pm)

Great idea! The bad idea is use of phones during passing periods. Use of phones at lunch is great time for students to yap away .

Ws resident April 30, 2026 (4:12 pm)

I’m so happy to hear this. I wish they had this policy years ago, I have advocated for it and emailed the principal. I wish it was for the whole day for high school too and that they actually had a strict policy of confiscating phones if they see them (unless for medical or IEP purposes). Teens are suffering from these devices, and the use of laptops should be next. Bring back old school text books and pencil and paper. Let kids hand write study notes and rough drafts of papers then type final drafts.

Scarlett April 30, 2026 (6:17 pm)

Bring back the slide rule! All the adults happily embraced cell phones and now indignant about phones being in the classroom. I’m waiting for the crocodile tears over A.I. in the classroom (begging to write your essay) while portfolio returns are driven by companies investing in more and more A.I. It seems there is no end to hypocrisy these days.

Dana May 1, 2026 (9:52 am)

This is great. It’s not necessarily the cell phones that are damaging, but social media. I definitely recommend the book “anxious generation.” Parents have to make the best decisions for their families, but I’m hoping we are getting to a turning point. Everyone, not just children can benefit from getting off social media and living real life in the community.

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