The Los Angeles USD is developing a plan for curbing students’ use of screens at school following requests from parent groups concerned about the effectiveness of digital learning.

The Los Angeles Unified Board of Education approved a resolution April 21 that calls for comprehensive, developmentally appropriate guardrails on instructional technology for all grade levels, including key provisions to eliminate use of student devices for youngest learners, prohibit student-led use of YouTube and other video streaming platforms, and review and present a public report of all existing classroom technology contracts, according to a district news release.

“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,” said LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin, who co-authored the resolution. “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.”

The resolution — which was co-sponsored by Board Members Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Kelly Gonez, Board Vice President Rocío Rivas, and Student Board Member Jerry Yang — positions LAUSD as a national leader in setting thoughtful, research-based limits on student screen use and classroom technology tools.

The plan was championed by Schools Beyond Screens, a group of LAUSD parents and teachers who advocate for “classroom technology that is student-centered rather than corporate-sponsored,” according to their website. The group calls for districts to block “non-educational distractions” on devices, set independent efficacy standards, and involve parents, teachers and students in creating screen-use policies.

“We support technology that is intentional, limited, transparent, and genuinely useful — not technology adopted by default,” the groups states on its website.

During a May 19 committee meeting, the LAUSD Board of Education was presented with a draft device plan that dictates daily screen time limits or recommendations for different grade spans:

The 1:1 device policy, where every child has their own device, would also no longer be the default for certain grades, and parents would be given the ability to “opt out” of their children having devices, according to the draft plan. The district would return to a computer lab/computer cart model.

The proposed policy would also block student use of websites with user generated content (UGC) such as YouTube, gaming platforms, and social media sites.

Devices would still be used to provide digital accommodations for special education students and emerging bilingual students, as well as for assessments and IEP mandated.

If approved by the board, implementation of the proposed screen-use policies could begin as early as August 2026.