Los Angeles school board votes to set limits on classroom screen time | Los Angeles
The Los Angeles unified school district board of directors adopted a resolution Tuesday to limit screen time for students in classrooms next school year in the latest nationwide effort to address negative effects from excessive device use.
The measure passed 6-0 at the school board meeting Tuesday. meetingIt would set daily and weekly screen time limits for students by grade level, ban elementary and middle school students from using devices during class time, lunch and recess, and block the use of YouTube on district devices, among other provisions.
Pending board approval, the new screen time policy will go into effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
LAUSD is the nation’s second-largest district, with an enrollment of more than 520,000 students. Students in the district have access to Chromebooks and iPads for online learning.
Co-sponsors of the resolution cited research from the American Academy of Pediatrics that links excessive screen time to increased anxiety and depression, difficulty with emotional regulation, lower academic achievement and decreased attention span. The academy has not set a specific screen time limit for adolescents due to a lack of evidence on the benefit of such parameters.
The organization advised parents to spend screen-free time at home and encouraged them to seek out “high-quality content,” i.e. digital media, that aids schoolwork and social development for their children.
Advocates of the LAUSD school board decision hope it sets a precedent for the rest of the country.
“I believe we have an opportunity to lead the nation in establishing comprehensive, developmentally based screen time limits that put students in front of screens.” in question School board member Nick Melvoin, one of the sponsors of the resolution. “We know technology isn’t going away and can be a powerful tool in the classroom. This isn’t about going backwards. This is about rethinking school time.”
School Beyond Screens, a coalition of parents and educators who pushed for the measure’s passage, applauded the move in a statement.
“We anticipate that teachers will need support to move away from the ineffective, unproven education technology products that have been placed in their hands, and we urge the District to commit to professional development, additional planning time, and funding for textbooks and tactile learning materials,” they wrote.
The decision comes two years after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone-Free School Act, which requires every school district to adopt a policy to limit or ban smartphone use by July 1, 2026.
LAUSD chief Alberto M Carvalho, who is on paid leave pending an FBI investigation, appeared hesitant to impose sweeping screen time restrictions at a September board meeting.
“Before we get to the point where we unilaterally say let’s aggressively restrict access, let’s consider with some that restricting means eliminating.” in question Concerns then arise about the equity of such policies.
“Do we have a problem specific to digital gadget addiction in America? Yes, we do. It’s not the schools. Not even close. Parental responsibility is a big part of that equation. Period.”
The Los Angeles school board’s action may be the first of its kind for a major school district, but there has also been a wave of movement led by other educators and parents to reconsider the use of education technology in both Republican- and Democratic-leaning states.
