Screens would be banned until 2nd grade under draft LAUSD plan

Los Angeles Unified proposed draft screen-time limits for students, including a total ban on computers and other digital screens until second grade. The ban would begin at the start of the school year this fall. Screen-time limits would be phased in for older students over the 2026-27 school year, with grades two through five starting in November and middle and high schools starting in January 2027. The district wants to develop monitoring methods to track student technology use. The proposal would not change existing rules on personal cellphones because their use is already prohibited on campus. The policy would also bar recreational screen use, block noneducational sites, and restrict device use during breaks.

"Computers - and all other digital screens - would be banned for Los Angeles public school students until second grade, according to a draft plan to limit screen time. The ban would start at the beginning of the school year this fall. Older students would see screen-time limitations phased in over the 2026-27 school year. One reason for the delay is that the district wants to develop a way to monitor how much technology students are using, Chief Academic Officer Frances Baez said at Tuesday's Los Angeles Unified school board meeting."

"For grades two through five, screen-time limits would begin in November; middle and high schools in January 2027. The plan wouldn't change district policy on students' personal cellphones, because their use already is prohibited on campus. The initiative represents a hard turn from decades of evolution in the direction of increased online instruction, as district leaders formerly prioritized getting computers into the hands of every student every day, at home and on campus."

"The policy also would bar recreational use of screens, block noneducational sites and restrict device use during breaks. The L.A. Board of Education was on the leading edge by adopting an on-campus student cellphone ban in June 2024. The results of such bans are a subject of debate and study, but they continue to grow in popularity among educators and parents."

"Experts have linked excessive screen time to academic, physical and emotional harm, with the research focusing mainly on screen time outside"

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