Thursday, August 27, 2026

Board of Education to Consider Resolution on Elementary School Screen Time

Measure would direct superintendent to study reductions; follows action by Los Angeles and San Diego districts

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled to vote Thursday on a resolution directing Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco to review elementary school technology practices and to recommend ways to significantly reduce what the document calls non-essential screen-based instructional time.

Resolution 2899, titled “Supporting Developmentally Appropriate Limits on Screen-Based Instruction in Elementary Schools,” would not itself set limits on classroom technology use. It directs Blanco to conduct the review and return with recommendations while maintaining compliance with state and federal requirements, and directs the district to explore developing guidelines for screen use in elementary classrooms.

The measure comes four months after the Los Angeles Unified School District voted to direct staff to develop grade-specific limits on classroom devices and two months after San Diego Unified took up a resolution on its own technology practices.

The resolution states that educators and families have expressed concerns about the amount of time elementary students spend on screen-based activities during the school day. It also states that educational technology can be a valuable instructional tool when used intentionally, and that the district seeks a balance between preparing students for required digital assessments and minimizing screen time that does not directly support instructional goals.

The guidelines the district would explore are to distinguish between technology required for assessments and mandated programs, and technology use that could be reduced or replaced with alternative instructional methods. The resolution does not list which programs it considers mandated.

Any recommendations would be informed by input from teachers, administrators and health professionals. The resolution affirms a board commitment to instruction in elementary grades that prioritizes direct human interaction, hands-on learning, movement, discussion and experiential learning, and reaffirms that students remain technologically prepared for state assessments and future success.

The resolution does not define screen-based instruction, does not define which grade levels are covered and does not set a date by which recommendations are due. It identifies no cost or funding source.

The Los Angeles Unified board voted in April to direct staff to develop a grade-specific classroom screen time policy by June for the 2026-27 school year. The resolution, authored by board member Nick Melvoin, passed 6-0 with one recusal. Elements under consideration included eliminating student device use from early education through first grade, with exceptions for the district’s virtual learning program and certain mandated assessments, and greater use of computer labs rather than individual devices for students starting in second grade.

Los Angeles Unified has said elementary students spend roughly 31 to 50 minutes on screens during the school day and that its screen use is planned to support instruction. The Los Angeles resolution was championed by Schools Beyond Screens, a parent group that spent months pressing the district.

In June, San Diego Unified took up a resolution launching a yearlong effort to align technology use with current research, reduce excessive digital media consumption and establish developmentally appropriate guidance.

Parents raised similar concerns at the South Pasadena Unified board’s Aug. 11 meeting.

Resolution 2899 concerns instructional technology, not personal cellphones, which districts address under separate policies.

The board meets at 5 p.m. at 351 S. Hudson Ave. in Pasadena.