LAUSD adopts sweeping school screen time limits for upcoming academic year

LOS ANGELES - A sweeping new policy to monitor and limit student screen time across Los Angeles Unified School District classrooms will take effect this coming academic year. 

Building on last year's cell phone ban, the initiative positions the nation's second-largest school district as a prominent leader in restricting electronic device usage in schools.

What we know:

The newly ratified policy establishes strict, age-specific limits on instructional technology across all grade levels:

• Pre-K through First Grade: Screen time is completely eliminated.
• Second through Fifth Grade: Screen time is capped at a maximum of 60 minutes per day.
• Middle School: Students are limited to six hours of screen time per week.
• High School: Students are limited to 10 hours of screen time per week.

According to a district news release, the resolution "calls for comprehensive, developmentally appropriate guardrails on instructional technology for all grade levels."

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Beyond the strict time limits, the policy bars student-led use of video streaming platforms. 

It also mandates a comprehensive review of all existing classroom technology contracts, which must be compiled into a detailed public report.

What they're saying:

Board member Nick Melvoin, who introduced the resolution, emphasized the need to move past pandemic-era habits.

"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," Melvoin said. "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."

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The resolution was co-sponsored by board members Karla Griego, Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Kelly Gonez, Rocío Rivas, and student board member Jerry Yang. The district noted that the move establishes Los Angeles as "a national leader in setting thoughtful, research-based limits on student screen use and classroom technology tools."

What's next:

The policy is set to roll out at the start of the upcoming academic year. 

School officials and administrators will begin implementing the monitoring systems required to track compliance with the new daily and weekly hour caps. 

At the same time, the district will begin its review of active technology contracts to prepare the mandated public disclosure report.