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LOS ANGELES () — For over half a million students at more than 1,000 schools across Los Angeles, summer break came to an end on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Unified School District began the new school year, bringing some big changes for the second-largest school district in the country, including new limits on screen time and the use of digital devices for elementary students.
Under a policy adopted by the Board of Education in June, digital device use will be eliminated for students in early education, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade, with limited exceptions. From second grade on, there’s a time limit ranging from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the grade.
The restrictions are part of a broader district policy aimed at reducing student screen time across all grade levels. Exceptions will be made for district- and state-mandated assessments, students enrolled in the LAUSD Virtual Academy, and students with disabilities who need devices under an Individualized Education Program or 504 Plan.
“I think it’s great. I think reading books right now probably should be a priority for everybody. All the students are on the screens, no doubt. I understand why; I use a lot of screens at home. But limiting them at school is probably a good idea,” said LAUSD parent Edna Aletky.
The district will also block student access to YouTube, social media and streaming platforms, unless access is approved by a teacher.
With the start of the new school year, LAUSD also has a new superintendent, Andrés E. Chait, who made the rounds at a number of schools on Wednesday morning. He was once a teacher before becoming an administrator.
Students will no longer automatically receive devices to take home, although families will be able to request them. The policy also encourages teachers to assign homework involving reading, writing, problem-solving, hands- on activities and other work that can be completed without a digital device.
The changes follow the district’s earlier restrictions on student cellphone and social media use during the school day.
According to the district, the nation’s second-largest, the move makes it “a national leader in setting thoughtful, research-based limits on student screen use and classroom technology tools.”
The district said the policy was developed after research and outreach to parents, teachers and community members.
When asked how parents should feel about sending their children back to school on the first day, Chait told 7, “They should know that when their kids come back to our campuses today, we’re ready for them. Our campuses have been cleaned over the summer. Teachers are ready, principals are ready, staff are ready.”
The superintendent touted new features on the district’s school buses, including one that gives parents the ability to track the location of the bus while students are en route to and from school.
Superintendent Chait is facing a shrinking enrollment and a budget deficit of around $1 billion. With the limited resources he has to work with, he said his immediate goal is this.
“My intention is, working closely, obviously, with our board of education and our leaders, is to do everything possible to maintain the focus on the schoolhouse. Our primary mission is to ensure that our students continue to show the levels of achievement that they’ve shown over the last three years,” Chait said.
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