FILE - A student unlocks their Yondr pouch outside Grant High School in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 28, 2024. In Washington state, Vancouver Public Schools is one step closer to passing tighter restrictions on cell phone use for students during the next academic year 2025-26.
Natalie Pate / OPB
Vancouver Public Schools is one step closer to passing tighter restrictions on cellphone use for students during the next academic year.
On Tuesday night, school board members did not propose any additional changes to a draft policy that would further limit student access to personal electronic devices during school hours.
If approved next month, the policy would curtail cellphone use to varying degrees for all of the district’s 22,000 students.
Personal electronic devices would have to be “off and away” at all times of the school day for elementary school students. The policy would restrict phone access for middle- and high-schoolers during instructional times.
Exceptions include when using school-issued electronic devices like laptops and tablets, and if students have permission to use devices as part of an individualized education program.
The district has been working for the past year to update its current policy. Right now, decisions about whether to limit student access to phones are up to individual schools across the state.
The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction asked local school leaders last summer to update their guidelines before the start of the 2025-26 academic year.
“I am excited about this policy,” said VPS Board President Kathy Decker during a May 15 meeting. “Having been in education for a long time, to see the change that has developed in our classrooms has been concerning.”
Some 72% of high school teachers nationwide said distractions from cellphones in class are a major problem, according to a 2024 study by the Pew Research Center. That number is essentially flipped when students were asked about their electronic devices.
According to the same report, 70% of teens said there are more benefits than harms associated with being able to access their phones during class.
Stricter cellphone policies have already proven beneficial in some schools, according to school leaders.
Vancouver’s Jason Lee Middle School enacted its own restrictions last year. Known in the school as “no cell, bell-to-bell,” it mirrors the new draft policy for VPS.
Jason Lee Principal Megan Vickery said students this year were no longer distracted by checking their phones during class and they paid more attention to their teachers’ instruction. In a school survey about classroom engagement, students reported their level of attention went up 31%.
“That’s huge,” Vickery said. “Students were self-reporting that they’re actually engaging more in class than they were before.”
If passed, the new VPS policy would align more closely with rule changes at Portland Public Schools. The Oregon district approved cellphone restrictions in January, for all grades during all times of the day, including during lunch periods.
Nationwide, 22 states have passed laws to either restrict or ban student use of cellphones in schools, according to Education Week. Oregon and Washington are not on that list.
Washington state Rep. Stephanie McClintock, R-Vancouver, was among a group of lawmakers who sponsored legislation that failed to gain traction in the session that wrapped last month. The bill to restrict student use of mobile devices did not make it to a vote by lawmakers.
A school cellphone bill being considered by Oregon’s legislature died on Wednesday after extensive debate. Lawmakers could not find agreement over concerns about a statewide mandate to restrict phones and the costs of implementation such a law. Support from Gov. Tina Kotek has left some lawmakers wondering if she will take executive action on the topic.
For now, creating such policies is up to local schools and districts.
VPS officials expect to make a final decision on its rules during a June 3 board meeting.
