Looking Ahead to MI Phone-Free Schools in 2025-26 School Year

Dear Mercer Island Community,

A year ago today, we launched MI Phone-Free Schools to foster the learning environments we desire and promote healthy social and emotional development for our students.

In mid-June we published a story on the successes and celebrations of the first year of MI Phone-Free Schools. This story included parent and staff data from our annual Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES) that highlighted the positive impact limiting cell phones was having in our classrooms and schools.

Our principals at MIHS and IMS were quoted in the story about the transformative impact MI Phone-Free Schools had in their schools last year.

We want to assure our community that MI Phone-Free Schools will continue in the 2025-26 school year. We rooted the commitment to phone-free schools in data; year-one results from the EES as well as other qualitative feedback affirm the decision.

Some practices need revisiting and others added to improve the systems supporting MI Phone-Free Schools. However, I remind everyone this entire initiative is not about phones or pouches. Instead, this is about the well-being of our students and a commitment to providing the best education possible for the whole-child. 

I hope you have been able to enjoy this great weather we are having. I am looking forward to building on the successes of last year when we launch the 2025-26 school year on August 27.

Sincerely,

Fred Rundle