LOS ANGELES — 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.

The plan wouldn't change district policy on students' personal cellphones, because their use already is prohibited on campus.

For grades two through five, screen-time limits would begin in November; middle and high schools in January 2027.

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.

But there has been growing resistance — locally and nationwide — among parents and advocates in response to the dominance of screens in the lives of young children and teens. 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 of schoolwork, such as gaming and scrolling through videos and social media.

At issue now is screen time that has been part of the essential academic program.

Tuesday's board meeting provided a first look at how administrators conceptualize the board's directive, approved unanimously on April 21, to limit district-required screen time.

The plan will return to the board for approval at a later meeting.

The proposed limits by grade

Screens are outright banned — other than for students with special needs and for required assessments — for preschool through first grade.

For grades two and three, the proposed screen-time limit is 20 minutes per day. For grades four and five, it's 30 minutes per day.

In each classroom, access to computers would be flexible. It could be a computer for each student. Students also could share devices or have access only through a computer lab.

In grades six through eight, the policy focuses on recommendations rather than strict limits, with 60 to 120 minutes per day of screen time recommended. For grades nine through 12, it's 90 to 180 minutes per day.

The upper grades are complicated by students moving from class to class and different teachers possibly having conflicting computer needs — a concern raised by board member Nick Melvoin, author of the screen-time resolution.

Melvoin also wanted to see a thorough review of district technology contracts and their uses.

In another provision, computer use would be off-limits between classes and during lunch and recess.

Middle and high school students would still have access to their own district-issued computers. This could prove especially important for families who don't have internet access at home other than through a cellphone.

A proposed guideline also would set new limits on student access to the internet, prioritizing "curriculum-aligned tools" to avoid distractions from learning.

Though not named in the draft policy, the board's April resolution authorized a ban or limits on student access to YouTube and gaming platforms Roblox and Fortnite.

The staff presentation did reference YouTube as being blocked by default but accessible by teachers for instructional purposes.

The draft policy also makes clear that teachers should not authorize students to use computers for fun if, for example, they finish academic work early or complete it especially well.

New estimated costs include 3,100 charging carts needed to store and transport computers — at a total price of $4 million. Previously, the computers stayed with students, so fewer storage carts were needed.

A growing movement

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the issue of excessive screen time has been raised repeatedly by a group of tech-skeptical parents, whose numbers have grown rapidly.

Some of these parents on Tuesday were cautiously encouraged while concerned that the proposed steps might be insufficient.

Parent Rachel Zernik wants the screen ban to extend beyond first grade, perhaps up to fifth grade.

Bridie Lee, a parent at Ivanhoe Elementary in Silver Lake, wants the new policy to take effect — with more restrictions — for all grades starting this fall.

Educators and lawmakers in more than a dozen other states are weighing legislation or have already taken action.

In March, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill requiring the state education board to "create a model policy on balanced technology use in the classroom."

For kindergarten through third grade, for example, the Utah law prohibits taking home a school computer. In addition, all screen time is banned except for academic instruction in computer science and for state assessments. Alabama lawmakers also have enacted screen-time limitations.

A small number of school districts have acted on their own, with some in Connecticut blocking or limiting students' YouTube access. In California, San Marcos has blocked YouTube for elementary students. Starting this year, Fresno elementary students returned their take‑home laptops, with computer access shifting to in class only.

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