Fresno shifts laptops to in-class

Published May 27, 2026 by The Daily Scout

- Fresno Unified told 40,000 elementary students to return take-home laptops and will limit computer access to classrooms in fall 2026, district spokesperson A.J. Kato said. - Fresno Unified is spending about $4 million a year on laptop repairs and replacements, a cost cited by officials behind the policy change. - Through June, elementary students are returning devices; in fall 2026, classroom-only use begins under Fresno Unified’s revised technology plan.

Why it matters

Fresno Unified has begun unwinding a pandemic-era one-device-per-child model for its youngest students. The California district, which serves 40,000 elementary students, is requiring those students to return take-home laptops and will move to classroom-only computer access in fall 2026, according to district spokesperson A.J. Kato. The district is spending about $4 million a year to repair and replace laptops, a figure cited in recent coverage of the change. The move places Fresno among U.S. school systems rethinking the scale of screen use after years of rapid device expansion during and after the coronavirus pandemic. ### Which students are affected, and when does the change take effect? Fresno Unified’s policy applies to its 40,000 elementary students. EdSource reported in February that students would turn in devices from November through June and use them at school going forward, while KVPR reported on May 26 that the district will shift computer access to in-class only in the fall, citing Kato. For almost six years, Fresno Unified had provided elementary students with laptops for home use as part of a broader push to expand access during the pandemic, according to EdSource. That distribution model mirrored a national surge in school-issued devices when campuses closed and instruction moved online in 2020. ### Why did Fresno decide to pull laptops back into classrooms? (edsource.org) The $4 million annual repair-and-replacement bill is one of the clearest reasons Fresno officials have given. KVPR reported that the district is spending that amount each year and said the shift to in-class-only access is partly intended to cut costs. Tami Lundberg, Fresno Unified’s chief technology officer, told EdSource the change was also tied to classroom use. “Let’s increase the instructional time,” Lundberg said, according to the report, which said teachers described time lost when students arrived with broken, missing or forgotten computers. (edsource.org) ### What were teachers and parents saying about the old model? (kvpr.org) Teachers cited day-to-day management problems with universal device use. EdSource reported that keeping laptops at school would let students start work immediately instead of spending class time sorting out whose device was broken or unavailable. A.J. Kato told KVPR the district would move to in-class-only access in the fall, and the same report placed Fresno’s decision inside a broader backlash over distraction, overuse and screen saturation in classrooms. (edsource.org) In Los Angeles, sixth-grade teacher Anna Soffer told the Associated Press that “The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” describing daily battles for students’ attention. ### Is Fresno an outlier, or part of a broader pullback? Los Angeles Unified recently became the first major school district to stop giving devices to its youngest students under a new screen-time policy taking effect in the fall, according to the Associated Press version carried by KVPR and other outlets. The same report said schools across the country are reconsidering laptops, tablets and classroom apps after years of heavy investment. (kvpr.org) At least 16 states have introduced legislation in 2026 to reevaluate classroom screen time or scrutinize education technology tools, according to Government Technology. NBC News reported in March that the bills represented a broad challenge to the education-technology sector after a decade of one-device-per-student expansion. ### What happens next for Fresno classrooms? (kvpr.org) Through June, Fresno Unified elementary students are returning the laptops they had been allowed to take home, according to EdSource. In fall 2026, those devices will remain available in class rather than traveling back and forth with students, under the district’s revised access plan. (edsource.org) (govtech.com)

Key numbers

Fresno Unified told 40,000 elementary students to return take-home laptops and will limit computer access to classrooms in fall 2026, district spokesperson A.J.
Fresno Unified is spending about $4 million a year on laptop repairs and replacements, a cost cited by officials behind the policy change.
Through June, elementary students are returning devices; in fall 2026, classroom-only use begins under Fresno Unified’s revised technology plan.
The California district, which serves 40,000 elementary students, is requiring those students to return take-home laptops and will move to classroom-only computer access in fall 2026, according to district spokesperson A.J.

What happens next

The California district, which serves 40,000 elementary students, is requiring those students to return take-home laptops and will move to classroom-only computer access in fall 2026, according to district spokesperson A.J.
EdSource reported in February that students would turn in devices from November through June and use them at school going forward, while KVPR reported on May 26 that the district will shift computer access to in-class only in the fall, citing Kato.
For almost six years, Fresno Unified had provided elementary students with laptops for home use as part of a broader push to expand access during the pandemic, according to EdSource.

Sources

Quick answers

What happened in Fresno shifts laptops to in-class?

Fresno Unified told 40,000 elementary students to return take-home laptops and will limit computer access to classrooms in fall 2026, district spokesperson A.J. Kato said. Fresno Unified is spending about $4 million a year on laptop repairs and replacements, a cost cited by officials behind the policy change. Through June, elementary students are returning devices; in fall 2026, classroom-only use begins under Fresno Unified’s revised technology plan.

Why does Fresno shifts laptops to in-class matter?

Fresno Unified has begun unwinding a pandemic-era one-device-per-child model for its youngest students. The California district, which serves 40,000 elementary students, is requiring those students to return take-home laptops and will move to classroom-only computer access in fall 2026, according to district spokesperson A.J. Kato. The district is spending about $4 million a year to repair and replace laptops, a figure cited in recent coverage of the change. The move places Fresno among U.S. school systems rethinking the scale of screen use after years of rapid device expansion during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Which students are affected, and when does the change take effect? Fresno Unified’s policy applies to its 40,000 elementary students. EdSource reported in February that students would turn in devices from November through June and use them at school going forward, while KVPR reported on May 26 that the district will shift computer access to in-class only in the fall, citing Kato. For almost six years, Fresno Unified had provided elementary students with laptops for home use as part of a broader push to expand access during the pandemic, according to EdSource. That distribution model mirrored a national surge in school-issued devices when campuses closed and instruction moved online in 2020. Why did Fresno decide to pull laptops back into classrooms? (edsource.org) The $4 million annual repair-and-replacement bill is one of the clearest reasons Fresno officials have given. KVPR reported that the district is spending that amount each year and said the shift to in-class-only access is partly intended to cut costs. Tami Lundberg, Fresno Unified’s chief technology officer, told EdSource the change was also tied to classroom use. “Let’s increase the instructional time,” Lundberg said, according to the report, which said teachers described time lost when students arrived with broken, missing or forgotten computers. (edsource.org) What were teachers and parents saying about the old model? (kvpr.org) Teachers cited day-to-day management problems with universal device use. EdSource reported that keeping laptops at school would let students start work immediately instead of spending class time sorting out whose device was broken or unavailable. A.J. Kato told KVPR the district would move to in-class-only access in the fall, and the same report placed Fresno’s decision inside a broader backlash over distraction, overuse and screen saturation in classrooms. (edsource.org) In Los Angeles, sixth-grade teacher Anna Soffer told the Associated Press that “The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” describing daily battles for students’ attention. Is Fresno an outlier, or part of a broader pullback? Los Angeles Unified recently became the first major school district to stop giving devices to its youngest students under a new screen-time policy taking effect in the fall, according to the Associated Press version carried by KVPR and other outlets. The same report said schools across the country are reconsidering laptops, tablets and classroom apps after years of heavy investment. (kvpr.org) At least 16 states have introduced legislation in 2026 to reevaluate classroom screen time or scrutinize education technology tools, according to Government Technology. NBC News reported in March that the bills represented a broad challenge to the education-technology sector after a decade of one-device-per-student expansion. What happens next for Fresno classrooms? (kvpr.org) Through June, Fresno Unified elementary students are returning the laptops they had been allowed to take home, according to EdSource. In fall 2026, those devices will remain available in class rather than traveling back and forth with students, under the district’s revised access plan. (edsource.org) (govtech.com)