SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Public Schools will discuss an update to its cell phone use policy during its weekly meeting on Wednesday night.
The district school board says it is taking steps to eliminate the use of phones during classroom hours.
These proposed changes would require all elementary and middle schools to be cell phone-free during school hours. It would also require that students keep their devices in their pockets or backpacks during the day.
High schools would follow similar standards, but phone usage would be allowed during passing periods, lunch hours and before and after school.
Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard and the School Board President Niki Lockwood say they believe these changes will benefit the overall learning experience.
“As a community we are going to work together on this as a community. To help our kids adjust to time and place," said Swinyard. "There’s a time and place I can have my phone out and look at it. There’s a time and place it’s not allowed. Our kids can do this. They can do it and we can do it as a community if we work together.”
The potential changes would allow students to keep their phones near them during school hours but require that they are not used during class time.
An official vote to adopt the new policy is expected by August 28.
The Mead School District sent a letter to school parents at the beginning of August that outlines new rules for cell phone use in high schools and middle schools.
Beginning this fall, high schools in the Mead district will not allow students to use cell phones in any classroom unless approved by the teacher.
High school students will be allowed to use their phones between classes and at lunch.
At Mead district middle schools, students will not be allowed to use their phones until the end of the school day unless given special approval by a teacher.
In Coeur d'Alene, similar rules are in place for high schools and middle schools.
Coeur d'Alene district high schoolers and middle schoolers cannot use their phones in the classroom unless given permission but are still allowed to use them between classes and at lunch.