Dallas ISD is limiting screen time during the school day, with the strictest recommendations for its youngest students.
According to the district's new classroom screen time guidelines, unveiled earlier this month, children in pre-K through second grade should spend no more than an hour a day on screens during a seven-hour school day.
For third through fifth graders, the recommended limit is 90 minutes. Middle school students should spend no more than two hours a day on screens, according to the policy.
There isn't a set limit for high school students. The district says screen time will depend on the courses students take, including AP, IB, dual-credit, P-TECH and career and technical education classes.
“Dallas ISD takes screen time concerns seriously,” Angie Gaylord, the district's chief of Academic Services, said in an online press release. “Instead of increasing device usage, Dallas ISD has enforced strict screen time limits.”
KERA reached out to DISD for an interview about the new policy, but a spokesperson said the district is not providing interviews.
DISD says it wants teachers to be more intentional about when and how students use screens, ensuring they aren't replacing teacher-led instruction, classroom discussions and project-based learning.
Richardson and Lewisville ISDs have also introduced guidelines reducing or breaking up screen time, while Arlington ISD is now studying its own device use and developing daily goals.
Policies limiting or outright banning screens in classrooms have become more common in recent months. It’s part of a broader shift as research links excessive screen use to weaker attention and academic outcomes, especially in younger children.
Los Angeles Unified School District was among the first major school districts to put strict limits on classroom screen time, eliminating it for its youngest students and restricting it for older children.
Sujata Dand is KERA’s early childhood education reporter. Got a tip? Email her at sdand@kera.org.
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