LAUSD votes 6-0 to limit student screen time with new classroom rules
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The Los Angeles Unified School District voted Tuesday to limit student screen time.
The resolution to limit student use of laptops and tablets in the classroom and encourage pen and paper assignments passed 6-0 and requires the district to develop a screen time policy for each grade and subject, ban students in first grade and younger from using devices, evaluate educational technology agreements, and clarify the steps parents should take to discourage their children from using technology at school. NBC News reported.
“The Los Angeles Unified Board of Education today approved a resolution to limit screen time for students districtwide,” the district said in a statement. Press release. “Building on last year’s cellphone ban, the proposal calls for comprehensive, developmentally appropriate safeguards for instructional technology for all grade levels, including eliminating the use of student devices for the youngest students, banning student-led use of YouTube and other video streaming platforms, and providing a review and public report of all existing classroom technology agreements.”
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The Los Angeles Unified School District has voted to limit student screen time. (StockPlanets/Getty Images)
The decision came from Democratic Board Member Nick Melvoin, who has served on the board since 2017.
“Student devices have become a necessary lifeline during COVID, and screen time limits have seemingly been shelved overnight to ensure every child has access to the technology they need to continue learning and stay connected with their teachers and peers. Our challenge now is to recalibrate, evaluate the role of educational technology in the classroom, and balance access to that technology with the types of instruction and interactions we know help students thrive,” Melvoin said in the press release. he said.
The meeting was sponsored by Board Members Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Kelly Gonez, Board Vice President Rocío Rivas, and Student Board Member Jerry Yang.
When the district “becomes intentional about how our students engage with technology, we invest in their focus, their health, and our future,” Ortiz Franklin said in the press release.
“Providing instruction for our students provides our youngest students with human interaction and play space to develop essential cognitive and social skills, and provides our oldest students with opportunities for meaningful connection and collaboration within their communities,” Ortiz Franklin added in the press release. “I am proud to co-sponsor this resolution that balances how and when we use technology in our classrooms and prepares our students to be World Ready.”
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The resolution limiting laptop and tablet use in the classroom and encouraging pen-and-paper assignments passed 6-0. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
In the press release, Griego said this move was “long overdue.” He added: “As a co-sponsor, I am honored to co-sponsor this resolution that establishes clear, developmentally appropriate guidelines around screen time and the use of disposable devices in our schools to ensure a balanced approach to technology that helps our students learn, grow and develop.”
“Technology can be a powerful tool, but too much screen time has really detrimental effects on our students,” said Gonez, another board member.
He added that the decision “will enable us to prioritize important skills and learning experiences for students, while protecting their childhood and well-being by setting research-based screen time limits.”
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“Technology can be a powerful tool, but too much screen time has truly detrimental effects on our students,” said school board member Kelly Gonez. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
In the press release, Acting Superintendent Andrés E. Chait said the move was necessary for the current technology environment.
“As we continue to navigate the evolving role of technology in education, our priority remains to ensure that technology is used in ways that support high-quality education, student engagement and overall well-being,” Chait said. “Technology is an important tool that can expand access and improve learning, but it is most effective when used purposefully and guided by educators.”
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Gonez said the decision “will enable us to prioritize important skills and learning experiences for students, while protecting their childhoods and well-being by setting research-based screen time limits.” (Michael Arterburn/iStock)
According to a August report According to Ballotpedia, 26 states have enacted laws or policies requiring local school boards to restrict or ban cell phone use in grades K-12; 22 of these were adopted in 2025 alone.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Los Angeles Unified School District for comment.
