Washington state schools chief seeks to curb cellphone use

Washington state's schools chief is asking districts to find ways to reduce students' cellphone use — part of a growing movement to crack down on personal devices in classrooms.

Why it matters: Teachers and some experts say smartphones can distract students, hurt academic performance and hinder developing social skills.

The big picture: Several states — including Florida , Indiana , Louisiana and South Carolina — recently enacted policies restricting student cellphone use in schools, as did the Los Angeles Unified School District .

The latest: Chris Reykdal, Washington's superintendent of public instruction, issued guidance last week asking the state's 295 school districts to craft policies limiting student cellphone use by next fall.

• "Reducing the use of cellphones in class improves concentration and learning, improves mental and physical health, and reduces pressures caused by social media," Reykdal said in a news release .

Yes, but: Some efforts to limit phones in schools have met resistance from parents who want to be able to stay in touch with their kids — especially in case of a school shooting, like the one that happened in Georgia this week.

Zoom in: Seattle Public Schools, Washington state's largest district by enrollment, lets individual schools regulate smartphone use as they see fit.

• This year, two Seattle middle schools — Hamilton International and Robert Eagle Staff — are requiring students to lock their cellphones in small pouches at the start of the school day, The Seattle Times reported .
• At Garfield High School, a new policy similarly requires students to silence their phones and place them in a "cellphone Airbnb" when they enter the classroom, according to a summary shared by the school's PTSA this week.

What they're saying: The changes at the two Seattle middle schools are part of a pilot program that will help the district decide how to move forward with cellphone rules, the district said in a emailed statement to Axios.

• Right now, the district lets individual school leaders decide their building's policy because they "have a greater understanding of the needs of students and families in their community," per the district's statement.
• Seattle school officials are not considering a districtwide "off and away for the day" cellphone ban at the moment, the statement added.

What's next: Reykdal's push for districts to develop cellphone restrictions by the 2025-26 school year is a request, not a mandate.

• Only the Legislature could require schools to adopt such rules, Katy Payne, a spokesperson for Reykdal's office, told Axios.

Flashback: A statewide bill that aimed to have every district adopt cellphone limits by the 2027-28 school year died in the state House earlier this spring.