The second-largest school district in the country will scale back classroom screen use under a resolution the Los Angeles Board of Education has approved unanimously.
The resolution requires the district to develop a screen time policy for implementation in the 2026-27 school year. It should include maximum in-school screen time limits by grade level, eliminating student use of digital devices for early education through 1st grade, and prohibiting student-led use of YouTube or other video streaming platforms.
“We know that tech is not going away and can be a powerful tool in the classroom,” said Nick Melvoin, the lead sponsor of the resolution, during the board meeting. “This is not about going backwards. This is about rethinking screen time in schools to ensure we are doing what actually helps students learn best.”
The move comes more than a year after a group of Los Angeles school district parents, teachers, and students began pushing for more intentional, less passive technology use in classrooms. The coalition raised concerns about how excessive amounts of screen time can harm students’ academic performance, as well as their physical, social-emotional, and mental health.
Schools Beyond Screens, the parent coalition that advocated for the resolution, applauded the April 21 passage of the measure.
“The board has clearly signaled the beginning of a new era; now is the time for a safe and science-backed approach to classroom technology, one that is not guided by Big Tech talking points,” the group said in a press release.
The policy shift comes as artificial intelligence is challenging how teachers manage assignments and assess student learning.
For Sandra Martinez Roe, who has a 4th grade student attending the district and is a member of Schools Beyond Screens, the growing use of generative artificial intelligence in schools is one of her biggest concerns.
“It’s not regulated, it’s not properly vetted, and it’s still in its infancy,” she said. “I don’t think it’s the right way to spend our money.”
Instead, the district should invest in human support systems, Martinez Roe said.
“We need more PSAs [pupil services administrators]. We need more nurses, therapists, teachers assistants,” she said. “We need humans. We don’t need computers. We don’t need AI.”
LAUSD’s new stance on digital devices is noteworthy for a district that has undertaken ambitious tech initiatives in the past, with some high-profile stumbles.
An initiative launched in 2013 to provide all 650,000 students with an iPad within two years was soon bogged down by a slow rollout to students, poor uptake in classrooms, and an FBI investigation into how contracts were awarded. The investigation ended without any charges being filed against the district.
More recently, the district announced with great fanfare the launch of a first-of-its-kind custom-designed artificial intelligence chatbot. That initiative, too, became mired in controversy when the company the district contracted to build the tool suddenly collapsed amid allegations that it mishandled student data.
There’s mounting scrutiny of tech use in schools
The Los Angeles school board resolution is part of the growing backlash across the country against students’ overuse of technology and its correlation with worsening youth mental health.
Device use in schools expanded rapidly during the pandemic, as 1-to-1 computing programs became nearly universal, supported by federal relief funding.
Some districts have responded by limiting student cellphone use during school hours. Districts in at least 37 states and the District of Columbia are required to place restrictions on student use of cellphones in schools.
LAUSD’s school board opted to ban students from using cellphones throughout the school day in 2024, a few months before California enacted a statewide law requiring all districts to do so.
Now, there’s mounting scrutiny of other types of screen time in schools in Los Angeles and beyond.
More than half of educators who work for public school districts (61%) say that most parents and caregivers feel there’s too much technology in schools, compared with 37% who say families feel the amount of technology in schools is “just right,” according to a survey of 596 district and school leaders and teachers, conducted by the EdWeek Research Center in February and March.
State lawmakers are paying attention to concerns about tech overload in K-12. At least 17 states are considering or have already passed bills that seek to rein in the use of digital technology during school hours.
Ed-tech proponents, however, argue that limiting the use of digital technology in schools is not the solution.
“LAUSD’s effort to address technology use reflects valid concerns, but the proposed policy misses the mark by focusing on the amount of time technology is used rather than the quality of technology use,” said Richard Culatta, the CEO of ISTE+ASCD, in a statement to Education Week.
“Not all screen time is equal. High-quality, digital tools that support curiosity and creativity shouldn’t be treated as tools that enable passive consumption.
“Tracking rigid time limits creates unnecessary burdens for teachers,” Culatta added. “Instead of counting minutes, districts should set clear principles that prioritize meaningful, developmentally appropriate uses of technology that actually improve student learning.”
What the research says (and doesn’t say) on screen time
Research shows screen time can negatively affect learning, mental health, and physical well-being, but experts increasingly emphasize focusing on quality over quantity.
For example, interactive or guided media use is considered more beneficial than passive viewing. However, there is more limited research specifically on classroom screen time leaving educators to interpret broader findings.
Teachers, principals, and district leaders surveyed in February and March by the EdWeek Research Center had mixed views on how technology in the classroom affects their students’ development.
Majorities said that education technology had a negative impact on students’ social-emotional development, overall well-being and mental health, and behavior in the classroom. However, a majority of educators felt that technology boosted student engagement in learning and mastering content and skills.
Additionally, research has found that there are drawbacks to reading and typing on screens. Students comprehend more when they read from a printed book, and they internalize and remember more information when writing by hand.
Increasingly, experts say that families alone cannot shoulder the burden of limiting kids’ time on screens—that it must be shared by educators and policymakers as well.
School-issued devices and requirements to have students log in to school apps and email from home can derail families’ attempts to put curbs on screen time.
