LAUSD limits classroom devices

Los Angeles Unified’s board voted April 21 to limit student screen time across the district, widening last year’s school-day cellphone ban to classroom laptops and tablets. (lausd.org) (k12dive.com) The resolution directs Los Angeles Unified to create and enforce a districtwide policy by the 2026-27 school year. The vote was unanimous, according to the district and K-12 Dive. (lausd.org) (k12dive.com) Under the plan, district-issued devices would be eliminated for early education through first grade. For older students, the district must set maximum daily and weekly screen-time limits by grade level. (k12dive.com) (lausd.org) The resolution also bars student-led use of YouTube and other video-streaming platforms on district devices. For grades 2 through 5, schools are encouraged to use laptop carts or computer labs instead of one-device-per-student setups. (k12dive.com) Los Angeles Unified said the policy builds on its cellphone ban from the 2025 school year. The new rules must also block elementary and middle school students from using devices during passing periods, lunch and recess. (lausd.org) (k12dive.com) Board member Nick Melvoin, who introduced the measure, said the district needed to “recalibrate” after expanding one-to-one device access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acting Superintendent Andrés Chait said technology should support instruction and student well-being, not drive classroom routines. (lausd.org) (k12dive.com) The move lands as California districts face a separate state deadline on phones. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3216 in September 2024, requiring every district, charter school and county office of education to adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting smartphones by July 1, 2026. (gov.ca.gov) (publications.csba.org) That law does not dictate one statewide model. It requires local policies with stakeholder input and keeps exceptions for emergencies, individualized education programs, medical needs, and teacher or administrator permission. (gov.ca.gov) (publications.csba.org) In Watsonville, Pajaro Valley Unified Superintendent Heather Contreras said the district is now drafting its first districtwide cellphone policy with student participation. She wrote that families have reported uneven rules from school to school and classroom to classroom. (msn.com) Los Angeles Unified is moving faster and further than the state phone law requires. By June, the district is expected to finalize limits that reach beyond phones and into the daily use of school-issued screens. (k12dive.com) (lausd.org)