LAUSD screen-time rules

The Los Angeles Unified School District voted April 21 to write a districtwide policy that cuts classroom screen time starting in the 2026–27 school year. (laist.com) The board’s resolution passed 6-0 with one recusal, and it tells staff to bring back a detailed plan by June. The plan must set daily and weekly limits by grade and subject for district-issued Chromebooks and iPads. (nbcnews.com) The measure bars device use for early education through first grade and says grades 2 through 5 should move away from one-to-one devices. It also calls for elementary and middle school students to be kept off devices during lunch, recess and passing periods. (nbclosangeles.com) Los Angeles Unified is the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 520,000 students, so the policy reaches far beyond a single campus. NBC News reported it is the first major American school system to require classroom screen-time limits. (lausd.org, nbcnews.com) The vote extends a broader district push to pull back on student tech use after the pandemic-era device rollout. In June 2024, Los Angeles Unified approved a districtwide cellphone ban during the school day, with implementation set for January 2025. (lausd.org) Board member Nick Melvoin, who introduced both efforts, said the district had not “recalibrated” its use of technology after sending devices home during COVID-era school closures. The new resolution also tells the district to encourage paper-and-pen assignments. (laist.com, cbsnews.com) The resolution cites research summarized by the American Academy of Pediatrics linking excessive screen use to problems with attention, mood, sleep and other health measures, while also saying students still need digital skills. The academy’s school guidance says schools should balance educational uses of screens with child development, accessibility and non-screen learning. (cbsnews.com, aap.org) Parents organized around the issue before the vote through a group called Schools Beyond Screens, which NBC News said has about 2,000 local members. Families told reporters their children were getting distracted by games, YouTube and other online content on school-issued devices. (nbcnews.com, laist.com) The June policy vote will decide the exact weekly caps, opt-out rules for families and a review of district education-technology contracts. For now, the board has set the direction: fewer screens in class, starting with the youngest students. (nbcnews.com)