Spokane Public Schools officially bans cellphones in classrooms

Cellphone use is officially banned in Spokane Public Schools classrooms.

“There’s just very broad acknowledgment that kids are on screens way too much, and it’s not healthy,” Superintendent Adam Swinyard said at a Tuesday news conference. “We need to come up with practical solutions to help them establish a different childhood experience.”

The school board voted unanimously to institute the ban, though board member Jenny Slagle was absent from the meeting.

The policy establishes different restrictions at each school level.

Middle and elementary schoolers can’t use their phones at all during the school day, including during lunch and as they move between classes.

High schoolers can use their phones during passing periods between classes and at lunch, just not in classrooms.

Students can keep their phones on their person, but the policy requires the devices are kept out of sight.

“It’s been a long time coming,” board member Mike Wiser said upon approval.

Though revisions to the cell phone policy have been in board discussions throughout the summer, the board finalized their prohibition with the first day of school on the horizon Tuesday.