The Los Angeles Unified School District has approved its 2026-2027 budget, which includes a total ban on screen time for students until they reach the second grade. The $20.6 billion budget and Local Control and Accountability Plan, passed at a recent school board meeting, also include raises for teachers, staff, and administrators.

Screen Time Limits

The new policy will be phased in and apply to all K-12 students, but in different ways. Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first-grade students will face a 0-minute screen time rule starting in August. Third-grade students will be limited to 20 minutes of screen time per day, while fourth- and fifth-grade students will be limited to 30 minutes per day, both starting in November.

Starting in January 2027, students in grades 6-8 will be limited to an hour of screen time per subject per week, and high school students will be limited to 90 minutes per subject per week. The district’s decision to limit screen time is in response to concerns that students spend too much time on screens and electronics in classrooms, which may be impacting educational outcomes.

Budget Details

The budget includes $12 billion for day-to-day operations and $4 billion for building and facility renovation projects. However, some citizens were not pleased that the district cut $25 million from the school police department’s budget. The budget exceeds the district’s revenue by $2 billion, and the district plans to cover the difference by dipping into its reserves.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.