The Los Angeles Unified School District’s board passed landmark technology standards on Tuesday to limit screen time and classroom technology access, making it the first major school district nationwide to take such action.
The school district passed the legislation 6-0, with one recusal, requiring the creation of a screen time policy for each grade and subject, eliminating first-grade students and younger from using laptops and handheld devices, and auditing the use of YouTube and other streaming services-based lessons.
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As the nation’s second-largest school district, the LAUSD board said the move sets the district “as a national leader in setting thoughtful, research-based limits on student screen use and classroom technology tools.”
The measure was based on research suggesting that children aged 8 to 11 with high screen time have lower cognitive scores and an increased risk for obesity, according to Reuters.
The resolution requires the district to present a detailed screen time policy to the school board in June, to take effect in the 2026-2027 school year. The board will also review a report on all classroom technology contracts, in accordance with the new measure.
“Our charge now is to recalibrate, evaluate the role of educational technology in the classroom, and balance access to that technology with the kinds of instruction and interaction we know help students thrive,” board member Nick Melvoin said.
The proposed policy will largely restrict elementary and middle school students from using devices during lunch and recess and will require students to be prohibited from seeking out YouTube videos on their own, according to the resolution.
“Technology can be a powerful tool, but too much screen time has real harmful effects on our students,” board member Kelly Gonez said. “This resolution will ensure we are prioritizing important skills and learning experiences for students, while protecting their childhoods and well-being by setting research-based screen time limits.”
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The resolution marks a reversal of the district’s championed education technology and an aversion to technological dependency in K-12 education systems following the COVID-19 pandemic era of remote learning. The district is encouraging the substitution of technology for traditional pen-and-paper assignments with instructor-led video usage.
“During COVID, student devices became a necessary lifeline, and seemingly overnight, screen time limits were shelved to ensure every child had access to the technology they needed to continue learning and stay connected with their teachers and peers,” Melvoin, who sponsored the measure, said.
The school board faced months of pressure from the parental group Schools Beyond Screens, which has 2,000 members in the Los Angeles area, who spoke at board meetings and district listening sessions, as well as through social media and administrative meetings about problems their children faced when required to use school-issued Chromebooks and iPads.
LAUSD families spoke to NBC about how their elementary-aged children’s grades were dropping due to distracted learning, including playing video games in class, watching YouTube, and scrolling through social media and internet forums.
Former Superintendent Alberto Carvalho had previously dismissed their concerns as “newly informed privilege” and framed providing devices to students as a matter of equity, adding, “Parental responsibility is very much a part of this equation.”
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The group celebrated the decision, noting “it is the result of a year of sustained pressure from Schools Beyond Screens and other activists who have demanded a safe and science-backed approach to classroom technology.”
The recent decision follows LAUSD’s cellphone ban in 2024 and marks the latest in a string of educational policies that push school districts to address technological advancements and their place in the classroom, specifically for elementary-aged students.
