PencilGoMore states and school districts are cutting screen time in elementary school, and a few now keep homework off screens too. Here’s what has actually passed, what’s still only proposed, and the district rules parents ask about most, with a source for every line.
Last checked October 29, 2026. We re-check this page every month.
| State | What it does | When | Homework |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | H.B. 273. Kindergarten–3rd grade: no school devices sent home, no classroom screen time except introducing computer science and state tests, more hands-on and print-based learning. 4th–6th grade in elementary school: devices only with direct teacher supervision, none sent home. Bill text | State model policy before Dec 1, 2026; every district adopts one before July 1, 2027 | No screen homework |
| Iowa | H.F. 2676. Digital instruction in K–5 capped at 60 minutes per school day (special-education, assessment and computer-science use don’t count). Each district posts its K–5 policy, including parents’ right to ask for further reductions. No devices at recess. Iowa Dept. of Education FAQ | Signed May 20, 2026 | Homework not addressed |
| Tennessee | Public Chapter 808. Every district serving K–5 adopts a policy to minimize unnecessary screen time. No minute cap. Bill page | July 1, 2026 | Homework not addressed |
| Alabama | H.B. 78. State guidelines on screen use in day care, pre-K and kindergarten, plus teacher training. A governor’s commission is also studying screen-based instruction in every grade. Governor’s announcement | Jan 1, 2027 | Homework not addressed |
Often mixed up: Virginia’s 2026 law (S.B. 568) requires schools to teach students about time on devices. It doesn’t limit screen time in class. Phone bans, for example in Kansas and North Carolina, cover personal phones, not school Chromebooks.
| State | Proposal | Status |
|---|---|---|
| New York | FOCUS Act: screen-free instruction in pre-K–5, mainly face-to-face and pencil-and-paper learning. NY Senate | Proposed Aug 2026 |
| Missouri | H.B. 2230: limits on classroom screen time in K–5. Stateline | Passed the House 143–10; failed in the Senate (May 2026) |
| Oklahoma | 60 minutes a day for pre-K–5. Stateline | Passed the House only |
| Kentucky | S.B. 318: K–5 classroom screen-time limits. Spectrum News | Stayed in committee; similar legislation expected next session |
| District | What changed | Homework |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Unified, CA | No screen time in pre-K–1st grade; 60 minutes a day in 2nd–5th; devices stay at school unless parents object. Phased in from August 2026. AP | Homework not addressed |
| Henrico County, VA | Elementary devices stay in the classroom; daily limits from 15 minutes in pre-K to 90 minutes in grades 3–5. 29News | No screen homework |
| New York City | No individual devices in pre-K–2nd grade; up to 30 minutes a day in 3rd–5th (described as guidelines). Chalkbeat | Homework not addressed |
| Chesterfield County, VA | K–2 students no longer take Chromebooks home. WTVR | Homework not addressed |
| Virginia Beach, VA | No one-to-one Chromebooks in preschool–1st grade; 2nd grade keeps them at school. WTKR | Homework not addressed |
| Canon-McMillan, PA | K–2 lose regular device access; 3rd–8th share Chromebook carts, none go home. Education Week | Homework not addressed |
| Mesa, AZ | K–2: about 20 minutes a day (30 at most); 3rd–6th: about 45 (75 at most). GovTech | Homework not addressed |
| West Ada, ID | Guidelines aim for elementary classrooms to be screen-free 90% of the day; no devices during unstructured time, including indoor recess. KMVT | Homework not addressed |
| Fleming County, KY | 45 minutes a day in elementary school. WYMT | Homework not addressed |
PencilGo gives your child one short practice sheet a day, on paper. When it’s done, you take one photo. We mark it, show you what they got right and wrong, and pick the next sheet. About five minutes a day, free, and your child never touches a screen.
Print today’s free sheetUtah. H.B. 273 requires every Utah district to adopt a policy, before July 1, 2027, that prohibits homework requiring the internet or instructional technology in kindergarten through grade 6 in elementary schools. No other enacted state law we found covers homework.
Iowa caps digital instruction at 60 minutes per school day in kindergarten through grade 5. Utah limits classroom screen time in kindergarten through grade 3 to computer science introduction and state tests. Tennessee requires every K–5 district to adopt a policy minimizing unnecessary screen time.
Yes. In Iowa, district K–5 technology policies must tell parents they can ask for further reductions. Elsewhere, ask your child’s teacher or principal which apps are used, how many minutes a day, and whether practice can be sent home on paper.
Information only, not legal advice. Laws and district rules change; check your district’s own policy. Spotted a change or a district we’ve missed? Write to [email protected].