Add Seattle’s Whitman Middle School to the list of schools trying new procedures to limit the distractions caused by cellphones and other smart devices.
The school for grades six through eight in the Crown Hill neighborhood is implementing a “Devices Away for the Day” policy intended to make the school a phone-free learning environment the entire school day.
In a newsletter emailed to parents this week, Whitman Principal John Houston shared a PDF presentation outlining how the policy will work when school starts next week.
- Smartphones, watches and other devices will be off before students enter school in the morning and away (in backpacks or lockers) for the day, and do not come out until students leave school.
- This includes time in classes, passing between classes, at lunch, etc.
- Students who break the new rules will face a series of escalating consequences, from having their phone held until the end of the day to scheduling a parent conference in which additional steps will be discussed.
- Students who need to contact their family during the school day will need to go to the main school office or counseling office to make a private phone call. Parents will need to call the school and give any message for a student to office staff.
According to Houston, a teacher survey at the school found that 85% reported phones to be a problem at Whitman, impacting learning and social interactions.
Whitman’s leadership team formed a committee to research what other schools were doing. The school worked with the Associated Student Body and Parent Teacher Student Association to hear ideas and concerns, and Whitman students were surveyed for their input.
Whitman’s move comes as mounting scientific and anecdotal evidence continues to show the academic, mental health, and social harms caused to kids by cellphones and social media. More school districts and states across the U.S. are enacting policies curbing or banning the use of smart devices in schools. In South Korea, a bill passed this week to ban the use of smartphones and other digital devices in school classrooms nationwide.
The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction released results last week from a survey that found that 75% of districts will have a policy in place by the start of the school year that limits the use of smart devices during class time.
Two public middle schools in Seattle implemented restrictions last year — Hamilton International and Robert Eagle Staff both introduced Yondr pouches, which allow students to lock away their phones, limiting their use throughout school hours. Pouches can only be unlocked by school staff or at designated stations at the end of the school day.
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) has not implemented any new districtwide cellphone policy for the start of the 2025–26 school year. Individual schools continue to manage their own cellphone policies based on the needs of their communities and educational environments.
A district spokesperson told GeekWire this week that the district continues to advance the Student Cellphone and Personal Technology Policy initiative, “which aims to foster equitable, focused, and wellness-centered learning environments across all SPS schools.”
“Throughout Fall 2025, SPS will engage students, staff, families, and community members through listening sessions, surveys, and committee discussions,” SPS said in a statement. “These inputs will inform a comprehensive Decisional Paper to be finalized and presented by December 2025. This process ensures transparency and shared ownership of any future districtwide policy updates.”
