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NEWPORT — At the Newport School District, even students had noticed how much their cell phones had become a distraction.
“People don’t really pay attention to their classes,” said 15-year-old Aiden Tieman, a sophomore at Newport High School.
That is why Newport has updated its cell phone and mobile device policy to further limit use on campus.
As of this school year, Newport students are no longer allowed to use wireless devices in learning spaces or during instructional time. During school hours, phones must be off or in silent mode, with no notifications or haptics such as vibrations. Smart watches must be in airplane mode, which disconnects them from WiFi and cell service.
Earbuds and headphones are also not allowed, except when used for a teacher-approved educational purpose, as assistive technology or as part of a personal or individual educational plan.
“Not just our students, but everyone’s students across the nation are kind of addicted to their phones and everything,” said Steve Bouldin, Newport High School principal. “And I think this will give some of them a great way to break away from that daily addiction.”
The only time wireless devices are allowed is during non-instructional time — passing periods and lunches — in common areas on campus.
“It may be tough at first for some of our students to put that down,” Bouldin said. “But they will work through that system, and we’ll get it done.”
Newport is not the only district to implement a new or updated cell phone policy in recent years; the Cusick and West Bonner County School Districts have as well.
While the Selkirk School District does not have a cell phone policy, cell phone use is listed as a discretionary offense in the Selkirk Middle/High School student handbook. Phones are not allowed in classes at the high school, or anywhere on campus at the middle school.
At Cusick, phones are banned during all school hours except lunch periods; they may not be used during instructional time, in hallways, classrooms or any other areas where classes are in session. Students must keep their phones off or in silent mode and stored in lockers or backpacks throughout the day, including classes and even passing periods.
Cusick’s policy also makes exceptions for lunch breaks and medical or emergency purposes, the latter requiring approval from school administration.
Cusick “understand[s] that personal electronic devices are extremely useful and have become an integral part of our daily lives, but at the same time are often used inappropriately,” according to the district’s policy.
Across the border, the West Bonner County School District will also make exceptions for emergencies or students requiring devices for health monitoring, but that is it. Priest River Lamanna Junior/Senior High students will forgo cell phone use from the moment they enter school for the day until they leave.
“We believe this policy will help improve student engagement, academic performance, and promote positive social interactions among students,” principal Vanessa Haggett said in a news release.
This approach models itself on Idaho Governor Brad Little’s Phone Free Learning Act enacted Oct. 31, 2024. The order encourages all Idaho school districts to adopt district-wide, comprehensive policies for cell phone restriction by the end of the 2024–2025 school year. Districts adopting policies that align with the Idaho State Department of Education guidelines on cell phones can also receive a one-time award of $5,000.
To incentivize following the cell phone bans, each school district is imposing consequences for policy violations. These range from a warning, confiscation and parent-guardian notification on first and second offenses, to disciplinary action that escalates with subsequent offenses.
All policies cite similar reasons for the bans: a commitment to learning and engagement, free from distractions caused by cell phones.
Donovan Mason, 17, is a senior at Newport High School. He referred to his school’s ban as a “double-edged sword.”
“A phone could be a helpful tool in a lot of classes where … sometimes you need your phone to do the assignment for a class, and now with the phone ban you won’t be able to do that,” Mason said. “But again it does also remove people from their phones while in class.”
Besides learning, a news release from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction noted that cell phones may have negative impacts on mental health and sleep.
As such, 75% of districts in Washington state now have policies limiting cell phones and smart devices at school, according to the OSPI news release. Of those districts, 61% reported that their community was satisfied with their approach to the bans.
Sadie Halstead Middle School has had a nophone policy for almost three years — one that “is working well,” Newport Superintendent Dave Smith wrote in an email.
Bouldin of Newport High School has communicated the updates to the district’s policy with parents and guardians since June. So far, he said he has received “nothing but positive” feedback in return.
“Other states that have already implemented these types of bans and everything are just seeing engagement go up tremendously,” Bouldin said. “At Newport High School, that’s what we’re looking forward to, and hoping that it will affect our students in a great and positive way.”
SOPHIA MATTICE-ALDOUS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARTICLE. SHE IS A MURROW NEWS FELLOW WORKING DIRECTLY WITH NEWSROOMS AT THE NEWPORT MINER AND RANGE MEDIA THROUGH A PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY. HER REPORTING IS AVAILABLE FOR USE VIA CREATIVE COMMONS WITH CREDIT.
