Bellevue School District launched a 35-member team to draft new rules on cell phones, classroom laptops and artificial intelligence. The Ed Tech Design Team will develop recommendations during the 2026-27 school year.
The team held its kickoff meeting Sept. 24 and will send policy recommendations to Superintendent Kelly Aramaki and the School Board, according to a district announcement published Wednesday, Oct. 7. The district received nearly 300 applications for the 35 seats.
Members include students, parents, educators, administrators, community members and School Board directors. The district has not released individual names.
Three focus areas
The team will tackle three topics identified through district planning and community feedback, according to the team's webpage:
- K-6 classroom technology: elementary devices, digital tools, media resources and consistent expectations for how teachers use them.
- Personal devices in schools: cell phones, smartwatches and other connected devices, including age-appropriate use expectations.
- Artificial intelligence: how AI tools can support teaching and learning while addressing ethics, safety, equity and responsible use.
BSD already limits cell phone use during class time. In a Sept. 2 blog post previewing the advisory, Aramaki wrote that it would "tackle the topic of cell phone bans … and limiting the use of district laptops in classrooms and homes." He added that the team would explore how to "prepare our kids to navigate a future with artificial intelligence while protecting them from its 'deskilling' impacts on writing, research, and critical thinking."
State pressure on phone policies
The team's work on personal devices comes as Gov. Bob Ferguson pushes statewide restrictions. Ferguson proposed the Phone-Free Schools Act on Oct. 2, which would require every Washington district to ban personal electronic devices bell-to-bell, according to the Bellevue Reporter. A spring 2026 survey by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) found about one-third of Washington districts had not yet adopted any cell phone policy.
Driven by family feedback
The district said in an Oct. 8 survey-response post that the Ed Tech Design Team is a direct result of feedback from last spring's family survey, in which families asked for technology-related changes. Strengthening guidance on cell phones, laptop use and AI is also a priority in BSD's 2026-27 Annual Plan, approved by the School Board.
The team will gather input from students, families, staff and community members throughout the year before sending its recommendations to Aramaki and the board. Families can follow the team's progress on BSD's Ed Tech Design Team page.
