Utah’s new rule: no screen homework through 6th grade

Utah’s H.B. 273 makes every public elementary school in the state keep homework off screens. It also keeps school devices at school and cuts classroom screen time for the youngest children. Here’s what the law says, when it starts and what you can do this year.

Checked against the bill text on October 29, 2026. Read H.B. 273

K–6No homework that needs the internet or a device, in elementary school.
Dec 1, 2026The State Board posts its model policy before this date.
July 1, 2027Every district and charter school must have adopted a policy by then.

What the law requires, by grade

Kindergarten to 3rd grade

Homework that requires the internet or a device is prohibited.
School devices don’t go home, and schools can’t require one device per student.
No screen time in class except to introduce computer science and to prepare for and take state tests.
More hands-on, print-based learning.

4th to 6th grade (in an elementary school)

Homework that requires the internet or a device is prohibited.
School devices don’t go home, and schools can’t require one device per student.
Devices are used only with direct teacher supervision for a defined academic purpose, balanced with teacher-led, print-based teaching.
Internet access is filtered for the child’s age.

Middle and high school

In middle or junior high, a school device goes home only if a parent opts in with written consent. In high school, devices can go home unless a parent opts the student out. The homework ban doesn’t extend past elementary school.

When it starts

The State Board of Education must post a model policy before December 1, 2026. Each school district and charter school must adopt that policy, or its own amended version, before July 1, 2027. A district that doesn’t adopt one gets the model policy by default, and districts must certify they follow it to keep certain state technology funding. Some districts may move sooner, so ask yours.

Who it covers: public schools: district schools, charter schools and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. It doesn’t cover private schools or homeschool. Exceptions: online schools and the Statewide Online Education Program, courses where technology is the subject itself, core technology courses, schools on tribal land where the district is the internet provider, and any device use in a student’s IEP or 504 plan.

What you can do this school year

Ask when your district will adopt its policy. The deadline is July 1, 2027, but nothing stops a district starting earlier.
Ask for paper versions now. If homework comes home on a device, ask the teacher whether a printed version is available.
Keep practice going at home. Once homework moves to paper, you won’t get the instant scores apps used to give, so you’ll need another way to see how your child is doing.

Paper practice that still gets checked

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 sheet

Questions parents ask

When does Utah’s ban on screen homework start?

The State Board must post a model policy before December 1, 2026. Each school district and charter school must adopt it, or its own amended version, before July 1, 2027. A district that doesn’t adopt one gets the model policy by default. Some districts may start sooner.

Does the rule apply to private schools or homeschool?

No. It covers public schools: schools run by a school district, charter schools, and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Online schools are exempt.

Can my child still use a device for an IEP or 504 plan?

Yes. The grade-level rules don’t apply to technology used as set out in a student’s IEP or 504 plan.

What about middle and high school?

In middle or junior high, a school device can go home only if a parent opts in with written consent. In high school, devices can go home unless a parent opts the student out. The homework ban covers kindergarten through grade 6 in elementary schools.

More for parents

Information only, not legal advice. Based on the enrolled text of Utah H.B. 273 (2026 General Session). Your district’s adopted policy is what applies to your child’s school.