Everett Public Schools' roughly 20,000 students would have to stow their phones from first bell to last under draft legislation Gov. Bob Ferguson unveiled Friday, Oct. 2.

Ferguson's "Away for the Day" proposal covers smartphones and smartwatches in every Washington public K-12 school. If the Legislature passes the bill when it convenes in January, districts would be required to put the policy in place by September 2027.

Each district would choose how to enforce the rule. Schools could collect devices at the door, require students to use lockable pouches or set up another storage system, the Seattle Times reported.

Ferguson plans to pre-file the bill Dec. 7, the first day pre-filing opens for the 2027 legislative session, according to the Lynnwood Times.

Few exceptions, no first-year suspensions

Ferguson said he wants few exceptions to the ban. Asked whether teachers could still use students' phones as classroom tools, he said other devices are available and warned that carve-outs would undermine the policy.

Students would not face suspensions for violations during the first year. "There is an adjustment [period] for everybody on this," Ferguson said.

Both Ferguson and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal plan to introduce companion bills. Reykdal's version would also require "away for the day" storage but would allow exemptions for teacher-designated classroom use, emergencies and students with individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Statewide data shows early results

An OSPI survey this spring found 58% of Washington school districts already have some form of cellphone policy. Among those districts, 57% reported fewer disruptions during class, 50% reported higher student engagement and 40% said interactions between students increased.

Still, 31% of responding districts said they have no districtwide policy at all. Another 44% said individual schools set their own rules, the Seattle Times reported.

A national report card gave Washington an "F" for its cellphone policies, according to the governor's office.

Spokane offers a preview

Ferguson made his Oct. 2 announcement at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, where the district is in its third year of phone restrictions. Spokane Superintendent Adam Swinyard called the time children spend on devices potentially "the most existential threat for our future."

Grace Parker, student body president at Lewis and Clark, said students should help shape the rules. "[Students] should have a voice in developing policies because we are the people experiencing these policies today," Parker said.

The proposal caps years of legislative attempts. Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, passed a cellphone ban bill earlier in 2026, but it was narrowed into a study with a December 2027 deadline. Rep. Stephanie McClintock, R-Battleground, has sponsored a ban for three consecutive sessions without success.

Everett Public Schools has not publicly detailed how it would comply with a statewide mandate. The bill language lawmakers take up in January will determine what comes next for the district's families.