First step: phasing out device per student for K-2 by January

Seattle Public Schools will limit screen time to 30 minutes a day for students in kindergarten through second grade and end individually assigned iPads for those students, the district announced Monday.

The district plans to limit screen time to 30 minutes a day and shift from individual devices to shared classroom sets.

The youngest students at Seattle Public Schools will no longer receive individual iPads in school and will have new screen time restrictions in class, the district announced Monday. 

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner announces SPS will no longer send iPads home with students in kindergarten through second grade on Sept. 21, 2026. Additionally, he said screen time in the classroom for those students will be capped at 30 minutes per day.

The new superintendent of Seattle Public Schools is pulling away from screens—but some parents want more.

The intentional tech movement argues it's not just the smartphones causing problems for student learning — it's also the internet-enabled iPads and laptops assigned to each student.