LAUSD limits student screen use

Los Angeles Unified School District’s board voted on April 21 to curb student screen use in class and write a districtwide policy for the 2026-27 school year. (edsource.org) The vote was unanimous among participating members, 6-0, with Board President Scott Schmerelson recusing himself. The resolution orders staff to bring a detailed policy back to the board by June. (nbcnews.com) The June proposal is expected to set daily and weekly screen limits by grade, bar student device use in early education through first grade, and encourage paper-and-pen assignments. It also calls for limits on student access to YouTube and possible blocks on non-instructional games such as Roblox and Fortnite. (edsource.org) For second through fifth grade, the resolution points toward less use of one-device-per-student classrooms and more use of shared computer labs. Families would still be able to opt in to district-issued devices at home for access outside school hours. (edsource.org) The district is the nation’s second largest, with more than 520,000 students across Los Angeles and surrounding communities. A change in Los Angeles can ripple through school purchasing, software contracts and classroom routines well beyond one city. (lausd.org) The shift comes six years after schools sent students home with laptops and tablets during the COVID-19 shutdowns and then kept many of those habits in place after campuses reopened. Board member Nick Melvoin said the district had not “recalibrated” its relationship with classroom technology after that period. (laist.com) Parents organized for months under the name Schools Beyond Screens, arguing that heavy classroom device use was crowding out handwriting, reading practice and teacher-led instruction. NBC News reported the group said families also complained about students watching YouTube, playing games and drifting onto forums during the school day. (nbcnews.com) Supporters of the resolution pointed to research cited in the measure and by the American Academy of Pediatrics linking excessive screen use to problems including attention, anxiety and vision strain. GovTech reported that at least 16 states introduced 2026 legislation to revisit student screen time or review education technology tools. (cbsnews.com) (govtech.com) The resolution also tells Los Angeles Unified to clarify how parents can opt a child out of school technology use and to audit education-technology contracts. Board members added a review of i-Ready, a district-mandated assessment adopted in 2023, after parents raised concerns about how often students use it. (nbcnews.com) (edsource.org) The next fight is over the details due in June: how many minutes count as too much, which grades get exceptions, and how teachers balance digital skills with less time on screens. Los Angeles Unified has now committed to drawing that line before classes begin in 2026-27. (edsource.org)