Parents urge limits on classroom screen time; Henrico schools to produce summer guidance

Dozens of parents and community members pressed the Henrico County School Board on June 11, 2026 to curb what they called excessive classroom screen time, presenting petitions and personal examples and asking the division to restore more traditional, multisensory learning.

"Please bring back traditional learning to our schools," said Melody Boschon, a parent and community volunteer, in the board's public forum. Multiple speakers said device-driven instruction now dominates subjects, reduces handwriting and deep reading, and shifts teachers' time toward policing online use.

Hannah Robbins Bruce, a public-health professional and Henrico resident, told the board more than 950 residents had signed a petition asking for enforceable, grade-level screen limits and for district devices to block noneducational platforms. "I hope that part of his childhood includes going to Henrico schools," she said, adding that petition demands include daily and weekly maximums and elimination of devices in kindergarten through second grade.

Several speakers raised safety and privacy concerns. Angela Clinton, a parent from Godwin, said she discovered a lapse that left students with unfiltered internet access and told the board it had taken "74 days and counting" without broad parent notification. The claim prompted calls for greater transparency and an option for families to choose a nondevice (analog) pathway for their children.

Other speakers pressed the board for more data and evidence-based review. Ross Colin asked the district to publish how much screen time students experience by grade and subject. Megan Cornish, a licensed clinical social worker, urged officials to demand independent research from vendors and to weigh hiring more teachers and reducing class size as alternatives to technology purchases.

The petitioners and parents offered concrete asks echoed by former teachers in the audience: eliminate devices for the youngest grades, block YouTube and gaming platforms on district devices, ban device use during unstructured times such as recess and passing periods, and invest in professional learning so teachers can evaluate whether a given tool actually improves learning.

District leaders responded by noting ongoing work. Superintendent Dr. Cashwell told the board that changes proposed in the draft student code of conduct remove prior language allowing cell phone use "at a teacher's discretion" and clarify that "students may not be suspended for possessing the cell phone in school" to align with the Code of Virginia. Board member Mrs. Sheay summarized a recent work session and said the division "will work this summer on a guidance document for teachers, students and all stakeholders" that will include grade-level expectations grounded in research; she invited community members to join the working group and named Courtney Bastain as a contact for volunteers.

Board procedures that evening also reflected administrative follow-up: a board member asked to pull item 7.10 (code of student conduct) for questions and the full consent agenda (items 7.01–7.28) was later approved by voice vote.

What happens next: the district says it will craft the guidance document over the summer, circulate guidance and communications to families before the school year, and rely on school counseling teams and community partners to support students who exhibit compulsive or addictive technology-use behaviors. The board set a work session for Aug. 13, 2026 that will be available for continued discussion.

Reported claims and status: Parents alleged a months-long security breach and a delayed notification to families; the district said fixes were underway and pointed to security staff, but parents asked for clearer disclosure and an analog opt-out. Other allegations about vendor efficacy and a referenced Securely legal settlement in California were raised by parents and remain assertions in the public record pending independent verification.

The board did not take new binding policy votes on screen-time limits during the June 11 meeting; it approved the consent agenda and directed staff to continue work on the guidance document and summer communications.