‘It shouldn’t be that hard of a lift’: Seattle schools to limit screen time, pull iPads from youngest students
Sep 21, 2026, 4:32 PM | Updated: 5:44 pm
Seattle Public Schools’ new superintendent Ben Shuldiner talks safety, budget in first day address. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
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 changes will be fully in place by Jan. 1, 2027.
“There’s no reason why a kindergarten kid needs to have an iPad every day in their hand,” Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said. ” That just doesn’t make any sense to me.”
During the pandemic, Seattle Public Schools relied on technology for remote learning.
“Well, we’re back,” Shuldiner said. “Our schools are open. Our kids are playing. Our kids are learning. Our amazing educators are working together. Sadly, what’s happened, of course, is that these vestiges of something that made sense five years ago were still kind of hanging around.”
Seattle schools seek more intentional classroom technology use
Shuldiner said Monday marks the beginning of a conversation about more intentional technology use.
“It’s not just about limiting the 30 minutes,” he said. “It’s that if we’re ever going to use technology, there needs to be a high bar to using that, meaning it’s not just to watch cartoons, it’s not just to watch some video. If you’re going to use technology, it really needs to be thoughtful. It needs to be about the curriculum.”
Coe Elementary School Principal Lindsey Backstrom gave the policies two thumbs up.
“In summary, this is great,” she said.
K–2 screen time changes expected by Jan. 1, 2027
Mike Starosky, assistant superintendent of academics, said the changes will be implemented gradually and should be fully in place by Jan. 1, 2027.
“It shouldn’t be that hard of a lift,” Starosky said. “For some of our educators, they might have to rethink how they do some of their activities for when they’re doing small group and large group instruction. I think our educators can do this fairly quickly and seamlessly.”
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No timeline for expanding changes to older students
Shuldiner did not announce a timeline for expanding the screen time and iPad changes to older students.
“This is a big district, and we make lots of mistakes, and I don’t want to roll something out kind of writ large for all 50,000 kids, rather than let’s start where the students really need the least amount of access, the K-2, and really be thoughtful around that,” he said. “Once you get to like (grades) 9-12, things get really complicated, because you actually do have classes around computer programming and things like that.”
Members of the advocacy group Seattle Families for Intentional Technology also joined Shuldiner and Starosky.
“Our mission is to partner with SPS leaders and educators to craft more thoughtful policy around how technology is used in the classroom,” Charlotte Taylor, a member of the group, said. “We believe there’s ample opportunity for more research-backed intentionality and transparency for tech use, and that this goes with Ben’s goal of making Seattle the top urban school district in the country.”
Shuldiner noted people learned before iPads were invented.
“Little kids should be more engaged in social and emotional learning with their peers and academic learning with the teachers and their peers as well,” he said.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
