Henrico County Public Schools introduced structured screen time limits and broader digital wellness measures at an August 13 school board meeting in Henrico County, instituting grade-based daily device time caps and new platform restrictions across the division. The policy set limits that begin at 15 minutes per day for Pre-K students and scale up to 90 minutes per day for third through fifth graders, and also included measures for middle and high school schedules.
Why the district changed classroom technology use
The division framed the new rules as an effort to promote balanced learning by reducing passive device use and increasing purposeful instruction, linking the initiative to concerns about student attention and well-being. The guidelines emphasized that technology should function as a tool to enhance instruction rather than as a default mode of teaching; administrators described the measures as part of an ongoing evaluation that may be adjusted over time. Henrico Schools said the rollout followed collaborative input from parents, teachers, and students, and that staff training would be provided to implement the changes.
Details of the tiered limits and device handling
The heart of the policy is a tiered daily allotment for elementary grades: 15 minutes for Pre-K, progressive increases through early grades, and up to 90 minutes daily for third through fifth graders, with school-issued iPads and Chromebooks to remain in classrooms for elementary students so that no digital homework is assigned to those age groups. Middle and high school rules differ: devices will be put away during lunch and other non-classroom times to encourage face-to-face interaction, while classroom use for older students will be structured to support lesson objectives rather than continuous screen exposure. The division specified that the limits are grade-specific and intended to reflect developmental appropriateness.
Platform restrictions, collaboration and future review
Henrico Schools announced that popular platforms would be restricted under the new rules, with YouTube fully blocked for elementary and middle school students and access restricted for high school students, part of a broader effort to minimize distractions. The announcement credited collaborative development of the guidelines to engagement with families and educators and named Kourtney Bostain as a central official in the effort; Bostain serves as Director of Innovation at Henrico Schools and participated in outlining implementation and teacher training. School board members expressed support for an approach framed around intentional technology use rather than arbitrary reduction of devices.
The Henrico County decision reflected a growing national debate about screen time in schools that has included district- and state-level actions aimed at rebalancing classroom practice toward in-person instruction, handwriting and textbook use. The district noted that the initiative will be evaluated during the school year and that revisions could occur based on observed impacts and stakeholder feedback. Training for teachers and staff was announced to accompany the rollout to ensure consistent application of the new digital wellness expectations across classrooms.
Last update: August 20, 2026. Implementation details, including specific minute allocations for grades between Pre-K and third grade and enforcement mechanisms for middle and high school access restrictions, were described at the August 13 meeting; the district said it would monitor outcomes and refine policies as needed. Parents and educators were invited to continue providing feedback as Henrico Schools transitions to the new model.
