LAUSD Limits Screen Time

The Los Angeles Unified School District board voted April 21, 2026, to limit student screen time in classrooms and bar device use during passing periods and lunch. (usnews.com) The board approved the resolution 6–0 with one recusal, making LAUSD — which serves about half a million students — one of the first major districts to set systemwide limits. (usnews.com) Under the resolution, the district will eliminate routine use of district-issued devices for early education through first grade and prohibit student-led access to YouTube and other streaming platforms on school devices. (k12dive.com) Staff were directed to draft grade-by-grade maximum daily and weekly screen-time rules — the proposal offered an example of no more than one hour per day or five hours per week for third through fifth graders — and allow families to opt into district devices for home use. (edsource.org) Board members framed the move as a recalibration after COVID-era device expansions, arguing limits protect students’ focus, health and wellbeing during the school day. (lausd.org) The resolution builds on LAUSD’s 2024 cellphone ban and follows a 1:1 device push in 2020 that supplied laptops and tablets to students during the pandemic. (k12dive.com) Parents’ group Schools Beyond Screens pushed for the policy, while critics and some advocates warned limits must not block accommodations for students with disabilities who rely on technology. (edsource.org) District staff must present a draft policy for board approval by June, with implementation slated for the 2026–27 school year if the board signs off. (edsource.org) “Today’s screens can be a barrier to instruction,” sponsor Nick Melvoin said at the meeting; the district says next steps will include public reporting on classroom technology contracts. (edsource.org)