Governor Ferguson visits Pasco to discuss key legislative priority to remove cellphones in schools statewide

Proposal will require personal smart devices to be "Away for the Day" in K-12 public schools in Washington state by Sept. 2027

PASCO - Today Governor Bob Ferguson held an event in Pasco to discuss a top legislative priority for the upcoming session: Banning cellphones in schools statewide during school hours.

Governor Ferguson was joined by school district leaders, students and teachers at Pasco High School to talk about his proposal. Pasco High School currently does not allow student cell phone use during instructional time. Governor Ferguson's proposal will build on policies like Pasco's, creating a consistent, statewide policy. Governor Ferguson's proposed "Away for the Day" policy will remove smart devices, including smartphones and smart watches, from the first to last bell in K-12 public schools in Washington state. He announced the policy proposal in June.

Video of the event is available here. Photos are available here (additional photos will be added to the link as they are processed).

In the United States, 95% of teenagers have smartphones - and 97% of these teenagers use them during school. Studies show teenagers spend, on average, roughly a quarter of their school day on their cellphones - more than 41 instructional days over the course of a school year.

"As a parent to teenagers, I know firsthand how distracting cellphones are," Governor Ferguson said. "Many Washington schools and districts, like here in Pasco, have taken steps to get cellphones out of classrooms - but they need support. It's time for Washington to join the growing number of states banning cell phones in school."

"Reducing the distraction of cell phones helps our students engage with peers and focus on what they came to school to do - learn, grow and connect," said Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney. "We appreciate the Governor bringing attention to this important issue and creating an opportunity to hear directly from the people who experience it every day."

"Adopting a consistent cell phone policy at our school has had a positive impact on teachers, discipline, and student interactions," said Pasco High School Principal Veronica Machado. "With one consistent expectation across the entire system, students know what is expected of them regardless of the classroom they are in. That consistency reduces distractions and allows teachers to spend less time addressing cellphone-related issues and more time focusing on instruction and building relationships. We're also seeing positive impacts on student interactions: Students are talking, chatting, and interacting more naturally with their peers. We appreciate the Governor's support and welcome a statewide policy."

"I think high school is a time when young people are trying to discover who we are," said Pasco High School Senior Tais Borge. "How are we supposed to discover who we are if we are not paying attention to our surroundings because we are trapped in a digital world? When I came here as a new student, it was easy to pretend I was busy on my phone instead of engaging with people. When I had the courage to put my phone down, I grew as a person, connected with my teachers, and my friends, who motivate me and give me new ways of thinking. I'm very excited to see the positive result this policy can bring to our state."

"There were some growing pains when we first adopted the policy, but it became clear very quickly how much more engaged our students were. We were no longer having to fight with students to put their phones away and participate in the classroom," Gabriela Whitemarsh, Pasco High School teacher and 2026 Teacher of the Year. "They need to know how to work with each other, how to engage with each other, how to strike up conversation with a stranger. When there's a device in the way, it makes it really difficult for that engagement and that community building to take place. It has been helpful having a policy that promotes an environment where students are building healthy, positive relationships with each other and us as staff."

One-third of public K-12 teachers nationwide say students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem in their classroom, according to Pew Research Center. Research shows school-day phone use negatively impacts students' learning, ability to focus, attendance and mental and emotional health. Without phones, students are more engaged socially and academically.

Since announcing the policy in June, Governor Ferguson and his team have been traveling across the state, meeting with students, teachers and other stakeholders on the details of this policy. Those discussions include enforcement options, support needed by districts, what narrow exceptions - such as for IEPs, 504 plans and medical needs - are appropriate, and emergency communications plans.

Governor Ferguson expects to announce a detailed proposal by Sept. 15. He expects to prefile the Governor Request Bill the day prefiling opens on Dec. 7. School districts will implement the policy in September 2027.

Cellphone policy in Washington state and across nationwide

At least 31 states and the District of Columbia now restrict students' use of cell phones in schools, according to Education Week. Of those states, 22 have a bell-to-bell ban.

Washington has taken incremental steps to discourage phones in schools. While many districts and individual schools in Washington have some sort of policy restricting student cell phone use, the policies vary in scope.

A national report card gives Washington an "F" for our state policy.

Leadership on helping young people

Governor Ferguson has taken multiple steps to protect youth against the harm of cellphones. During the 2026 legislative session, Governor Ferguson signed a new law that helps lay the groundwork for regulating cellphones in schools. He also successfully proposed a new law that provides safeguards for the public - particularly kids - when using AI companion chatbots. As Attorney General, he took social media companies to court to change their addictive algorithms and hold them accountable for the harm they have done to kids.

Governor Ferguson is also proposing legislation to require all high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid - known as the FAFSA - or its state equivalent, in order to graduate high school or opt-out. Washington is among the most generous states in the nation for funding for college and job training. Approximately half of Washington families qualify for free money. Yet, our state has consistently ranked near the bottom for completing the application required to unlock this free money.

In response, last September, Governor Ferguson launched his Washington Completes FAFSA campaign. While that campaign increased FAFSA and WASFA completion, nearly half of Washington seniors still didn't fill out the form. Governor Ferguson's legislation will make filling out one of the forms part of graduation requirements, with an opt-out option available.