A growing number of BISD families are choosing to opt their children out of individual device use. The district has a process for this. This page has two parts: the process the district lays out in its response to families, and a guide to reading that response.
Starting is simple. You do not need a formal letter. A short note to your school, saying you would like to opt your child out of individual device use and asking how to begin, is enough to start the process below.
The district's opt-out process
Families who submit an opt-out request have been receiving the following response.
Read the district's response
Dear [Family],
Thank you for reaching out regarding your request to opt your child out of using a 1-to-1 device during the school day. I understand that technology decisions are an important part of your family's educational choices, and I am hopeful that we can work together to find a path forward.
Because technology is integrated into our classroom instruction, learning culture, and assessment practices, your initial email is the first step in a formal, collaborative process. To explore this request thoroughly, we require an in-person meeting with you and your school's Building Administrator. This meeting is an opportunity for us to review expectations, discuss what the school can provide, and determine what the family will provide to support your child's learning.
Please be aware of the following important considerations as we begin this process:
- Instructional Limitations: We will support your request to the best of our ability; however, we cannot guarantee full non-device equivalency for every content area, activity, or assessment. Due to curriculum design and resource limits, there may be instances where we are unable to accommodate the request. Please note that our staff cannot be responsible for the creation of unique materials that are not readily available.
- Grading and Assessment: If we are unable to instruct a student in a specific content area without digital tools, our staff may be unable to assess progress or provide grades for that subject.
- Required Testing: This opt-out does not extend to required tech-based assessments, universal screenings, or benchmarking (e.g., state testing).
- This is something that you will be able to discuss in more detail at your meeting with your school's Building Administrator. If you do not want your child to take required assessments, the Building Administrator will provide a Testing Refusal Form in addition to the Technology Opt Out Form that will be completed collaboratively in your meeting.
- Accommodations: If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, any necessary assistive or supportive technology will continue uninterrupted, as this opt-out applies only to general instructional tech. If needed, an IEP or 504 meeting will be convened to discuss individual opt-out requests for your child.
- Alternative Options: Depending on the amount of time required to access non-tech alternatives, we may need to discuss other options, such as the Mosaic Home Parent Partnership or the submission of an Intent to Homeschool form.
This opt-out process is valid for one school year only and must be resubmitted and renewed annually.
To move forward, please contact your school office directly to schedule a meeting with your Building Administrator. I appreciate your partnership, and am grateful for your continued collaborative support of your child's success.
Sincerely,
Amii Thompson
BISD Superintendent
Common questions
This is general information, not legal advice. Statutes are cited so you can verify each point. Secondary course credit can raise specifics this guide does not cover.
How do I start the opt-out?
You do not need a formal letter. A short note to your school, saying you would like to opt your child out of individual device use and asking how to begin, is enough. The opt-out is the district's own process: by offering it, BISD has established that opting out of a 1-to-1 device is an option, and you can ask that it be applied fairly and consistently across families.
Do I have a legal right to opt out of devices?
No Washington law governs instructional technology policy, and none creates a right to opt out of it. Each district board holds the final responsibility for setting policies on the content and extent of its educational program and for establishing final curriculum standards, under RCW 28A.150.230.
However, Washington's Parents' Bill of Rights (RCW 28A.605.005) lists rights that parents do hold:
- The legislature finds that parents are the primary stakeholders in their children's upbringing, that parental involvement raises student achievement, and that access to student information encourages greater involvement.
- The right to access their child's classroom and school-sponsored activities to observe.
- The right to examine the curriculum, textbooks, instructional materials, and supplemental instructional materials used in their child's classroom.
Put plainly: you have the right to know what instructional technology is used in your child's classroom. Software, apps, and online programs are instructional materials, and the right to examine them applies.
Does the state require device use?
No. Washington State does not mandate specific device use at any particular grade level. The Legislature has recognized the value of technology integration, including funding device access across the state, but how, when, and to what extent devices are used in the classroom is left to each school district.
The state does have learning standards for technology literacy under RCW 28A.655.075, and technology literacy is part of Washington's definition of basic education under RCW 28A.150.210. But the assessments that go with those standards are voluntary for districts, and the specific benchmarks and timelines are not uniformly mandated. Under RCW Chapter 28A.650, OSPI provides standards and guidance, but the instructional approach, tools, and depth of technology integration are decided locally.
This summary reflects guidance from OSPI. More is on OSPI's Educational Technology page and its learning standards.
The district wants an in-person meeting. Is that required?
A mandatory in-person meeting is an equity barrier that falls hardest on working parents, single-parent households, and families without flexible schedules or childcare.
If in-person doesn't work for your family, ask whether the meeting can be held by Zoom or handled in writing.
Whatever the format, the useful outcome is the same: a clear, written record of what the school will provide and what the family will provide.
Ask for a written statement of expectations and school-provided supports. Getting it in writing keeps the process consistent across families and leaves each teacher's classroom practice untouched.
What about "instructional limitations"?
This is expectation-setting. In the early grades much of the day already runs on paper and hands-on work.
Ask the school to name the specific activities that cannot be done or observed without a personal device, and why.
How will my child be graded without a device?
Through the elementary and middle grades, BISD reports progress on a standards-based report card rather than letter grades, drawing on a mix of daily work, observation, projects, and tests. Much of that does not depend on a personal device.
Ask your building administrator and your child's teacher how progress is assessed and reported, and which specific tasks genuinely require a device for assessment.
- In high school, a course may run through a single platform and credit is tied to it, so ask course by course whether alternate assessment is truly impossible or just less convenient.
Could my child be held back?
A missing grade in one subject does not trigger retention, and retention is not a decision the school makes alone. Under Policy 2421, promotion is the default once a student completes a year at a grade level. Procedure 2421P gives the parent the final say: if a parent wants the student promoted despite the school's recommendation, the parent completes a form and the student moves on. Parents must also be told at least a quarter before any retention decision.
At third grade the timeline shifts under the district's Comprehensive Early Literacy Plan (Policy 2107), and state law requires the parent's consent on grade placement (RCW 28A.655.230). At kindergarten and second grade there is no state promotion gate at all.
High school is different. Credits drive graduation under Policy 2410, and credits depend on grades. Some required courses run entirely through a digital platform, and the district does not have to build a separate non-device version of every course. So at the high school level, a full opt-out may not be possible in every class. Treat it course by course.
Keep grades flowing rather than argue about a gap.
For any grade, ask what specifically requires a device, whether the work can be completed and assessed another way, and what the alternative is. Where a course genuinely cannot be done without the platform, the question becomes how to limit device use elsewhere rather than opt out of that course. Get whatever is agreed in writing.
What testing is actually required at my child's grade?
In kindergarten through second grade, no state summative test applies yet. The one state mandate that reaches these grades is dyslexia screening under RCW 28A.320.260. Families can refuse it, like they can for state testing. The specific tool is the district's choice from OSPI's recommended screeners, and BISD uses FastBridge, a computer-based program. BISD also uses FastBridge for its broader K-6 reading and math screening under its MTSS framework. You can read the district's own explanation on its MTSS and universal screening page.
Washington separately requires districts to screen all students for Highly Capable eligibility, once by grade 2 and again by grade 6 (SB 5072). That screening may involve a computer-based test such as the CogAT.
From grade 3 on, Smarter Balanced (ELA and math) applies, with science added in grades 5, 8, and 11. These are state summative tests, and refusing them is a parent's right, not a special exception.
At every grade, "required" can cover things that are genuinely mandated, tests and screenings a family can still refuse, and district tools that were never required by the state.
For each item the school calls "required," ask what the assessment is, who requires it (state law, federal law, or district policy), and whether your child must use a device to complete it.
If I refuse universal screening, will my child still get support if they need it?
This is worth asking the district directly, because the answer depends on your child and your school. Universal screening is one of the main tools BISD uses to identify students who may need Tier 2 or Tier 3 support under its Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Refusing it removes one data source the district would otherwise use. You can read how the district describes this on its MTSS and universal screening page.
That said, screening is not the only way a need surfaces. The MTSS framework is built to provide support to students who need it, and teachers also assess through daily work, observation, and formative assessment. A student who is struggling can still be identified and served through those channels.
If you are considering refusing screening, ask your building administrator and your child's teacher how the school would identify and provide support without screening data. Get the answer in writing before you decide.
Can I refuse state testing?
Yes. In general, Washington parents have the right to refuse state testing. The state and districts call this "test refusal," not "opt-out," so use that language. Start by asking your school's principal or counselor whether the school requires a "test refusal" form. If not, you can simply put your request in writing, and you will likely need to resubmit it annually. Be specific about which tests you are refusing and whether that includes practice tests and retakes.
Ask about any local policies that could apply. For example, some districts use Smarter Balanced results as a criterion for Highly Capable program consideration and will not consider a student who refused the test.
Districts and the state are required to test at least 95 percent of all students, and 95 percent of each tracked subgroup. That requirement is on districts and states, not individual families. Federal funding is theoretically at risk if a district falls below the threshold, but there is no record of that happening anywhere in the country; in Washington, districts below 95 percent are asked to develop a participation plan, not threatened with funding cuts.
This reflects guidance from the Washington Education Association. You can read more at the WEA's guidance.
They mentioned homeschooling or Mosaic. Do I have to?
No, and it's disappointing this is even raised at the start of this process. The district's letter says alternatives may come up "depending on the amount of time required to access non-tech alternatives." That leaves a lot unsaid: it does not say how much time is too much, who decides, or what a family can do if they see it differently.
Ask what "too much time" means in concrete terms: how much staff time the school estimates, who makes that determination, against what standard, and how a family can respond if they disagree. Ask for the answer in writing. A limit that is never written down can be applied differently to different families.
Whatever that conversation concludes, the alternatives remain optional. Every child residing in the district may attend its public schools and the district cannot force your family out. Homeschooling is always a parent/guardian election.
No provision lets a district move a resident child out of public school because the family declined a tool, so homeschooling and Mosaic are suggestions you may decline.
Make it clear early. You can say: "We're keeping our child enrolled. Please take homeschooling and Mosaic off the table."
Do I have to renew this each year?
Yes. The opt-out is valid for one school year. You must resubmit and renew your request each fall.