Pasco schools set new screen-time limits starting Aug. 13

Students at Land O' Lakes High School, Sunlake High School and elementary schools that feed into them will spend far less time staring at screens when classes resume Aug. 13.

Pasco County Schools rolled out grade-specific screen-time guidelines the week of July 28, recommending no more than 30 minutes of daily device use for kindergarten and first grade, no more than one hour for grades two through eight, and an average of 90 minutes for high schoolers. The shift moves classroom instruction toward teacher-led, hands-on lessons aimed at what Superintendent John Legg called a gradual erosion of fundamental learning skills.

"Teachers own the instruction, not the technology," Legg said, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

How the policy came together

Legg signaled the move at an April 2026 school board meeting. The policy follows the district's 2024 cellphone restrictions and its recent framework for artificial intelligence use in classrooms.

Nena Green, the district's executive director for elementary schools, spearheaded the committee that developed the recommendations. She stressed that the district is not removing technology from classrooms but using devices more intentionally when they fit academic goals.

In a Tampa Bay Times photo illustrating the new approach, Moon Lake Elementary STEM teacher Theresa Wilhelm showed students how to color-code a path for a tiny robot to follow their directions. That kind of hands-on, teacher-guided activity is what the district wants more of.

School board member Jessica Wright, a high school social studies teacher, said she was most concerned about kindergarten through second grade students not gaining reading and writing expertise because of reliance on computerized programs, GovTech reported.

Legg described the guidelines as a framework, not a checklist. Teachers will not be punished for deviating from the document. Staff will receive the recommendations during planning week before the Aug. 13 first day.

How Pasco's approach differs from Hillsborough's

Families in Lutz who have students in both districts will notice different strategies. Hillsborough County Public Schools, which starts Aug. 10, is removing specific programs like i-Ready, Amira and Imagine Learning from daily K-2 instruction. As we reported July 16, those changes focus on replacing screen-based literacy tools with printed books, writing and discussion.

Pasco's policy is broader. It covers every grade level, kindergarten through 12th, and sets time-based recommendations rather than eliminating individual programs. Pasco cited research linking excessive early screen exposure to weaker academic performance, including a 2025 study by Canadian researchers.

Part of a national trend

The national trend is accelerating. Iowa, Utah, Tennessee and Alabama all took steps in 2026 to limit digital instruction in classrooms.

Pasco teachers begin planning week ahead of the Aug. 13 start date. The school board primary election is Aug. 18, with three seats on the ballot, including District 1, which covers parts of Land O' Lakes.