An image of a student using a computer inside the classroom. (KOMO)
SEATTLE —Families in Seattle are seeing new steps from the school district to limit elementary school students’ daily tech use and increase online safety for all grade levels.
RELATED | Seattle families rally, address generative AI tech in schools
Seattle Public Schools announced during a special board meeting that starting in January 2027, students in grades three through five will face new limits on daily screen time and will no longer have one-to-one access to devices.
Kindergarten through second grade students are already covered by similar technology restrictions that limit device use to 30 minutes each day and end individual device assignments.
Beginning in January 2027, third through fifth grade students will use devices for no more than 60 minutes per day.
Devices will not be used as rewards, incentives, or for free time, although time spent on district and state assessments will not count toward the daily limits.
The district said these changes are meant to increase instructional time for reading, writing, discussion, collaboration, creative projects, and hands-on learning.
Dr. Mike Starosky, assistant superintendent of academics, emphasized the new framework for teachers. “Learning comes first. These expectations give our educators a consistent framework for making thoughtful decisions about when technology adds value to a lesson and when students are better served by direct instruction, discussion, books, writing, hands-on exploration and collaboration,” said Starosky.
Seattle Public Schools will implement new online protections beginning Monday, Nov. 9, with blocking YouTube for all K-5 students and blocking Minecraft for all students in grades K-12, except in rare instances where Minecraft is part of an approved curriculum.
Gemini and other generative AI tools not approved by the district, including Google Search AI summaries, will also be blocked for all grade levels.
The district’s web-filtering, ad blockers, and device monitoring practices will remain in place.
Some parents have voiced concerns about current technology practices, asking for transparency and the choice of paper options over tablets.
Erica Shutes-David told KOMO News she was surprised when her child received a school-issued iPad. “I was told this is just the way it is. And that didn’t work for me. I wanted to know what the data was supporting it and ultimately chose to opt our son out,” said Shutes-David.
An image of the parents’ rally addressing generative AI usage in schools on Nov. 4, 2026. (KOMO)
Ashley Worobec, a Salmon Bay K-8 parent, also shared her perspective. “I just think we all are seeing that AI is currently wildly untrustworthy and grooming kids to rely and trust on that. She described times her child came home most excited after hands-on classroom projects
School board director Liza Rankin addressed the crowd outside district headquarters. “I definitely want all kids to have the opportunity to be critical thinkers to figure out when things are in a tool versus when they need to use their own processing and point of view,” said Rankin. She added, “I know there’s a lot of alignment among the parents and the board here in that we want to make sure that our kids are learning at school and able to think and do and be able to use technology but focus on their development.”
Seattle Public Schools said it will offer families and schools more guidance as the policy changes take shape in the coming months.
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