Screen time cut: Hillsborough schools capping digital learning programs for K-2 students

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County Public Schools is pulling younger students away from classroom laptops by capping screen time and removing major digital learning platforms from daily lessons starting this school year.

District leaders say the aggressive pullback aims to reclaim lost instructional hours and restore a healthy balance between modern technology and traditional learning.

Hillsborough school board changes

What we know:

Hillsborough County Public Schools is scaling back the use of digital learning platforms during daily classroom instruction for students in kindergarten through second grade. Programs such as i-Ready and Amira, which have become common in elementary classrooms, will no longer be part of daily instruction for those grade levels. 

Instead, students will spend more time reading printed books, writing, participating in classroom discussions and engaging in hands-on learning activities.

District officials say the move comes after years of increased technology use following the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Director of Elementary Education Sarah Garcia said that when schools returned to in-person instruction after 2020, classrooms failed to course-correct away from a heavy reliance on individual devices. 

Garcia said district leaders want to reclaim classroom time that has increasingly been devoted to digital learning.

Pediatric screen time guidelines

What they're saying:

District leaders stress that technology is not being eliminated from classrooms altogether. Instead, officials say devices will be used more intentionally and only when they support specific educational goals.

"We're calling it low tech because we do recognize that there is a need and a time and place for technology education in the classroom," Garcia said. "We also recognize that students ultimately are assessed in a digital platform for their achievement assessment at the end of the year, and so we will have some technology, but we want that to be limited and purposeful and really shift the majority of the learning experience to hands-on, rich, authentic learning experiences in the classrooms."

Garcia said reducing screen time is also intended to account for the amount of technology many students already use outside of school.

"We know that students are on screens at home often a lot and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends less than two hours a day. We want to limit that screen time in schools as much as possible," Garcia said.

Some parents, including local mother Sara Healy, say they support the district's efforts to find a better balance between technology and traditional learning.

New school year parameters

What's next:

District leaders say technology will continue to play a role in education, including for progress monitoring and certain testing requirements. Parents are receiving information this week outlining the classroom changes ahead of the new school year.

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