Virginia Beach school board rescinds June vote, then approves amended limits on classroom devices

The Virginia Beach School Board on Wednesday rescinded its June 8 vote on a substitute version of policy 618 and then approved an amended version of the same policy limiting classroom device use for younger students, a move that split the board 6–5 and came after prolonged public comment from teachers and parents.

Supporters said the amended policy — which removes one-to-one devices from pre-K and kindergarten and allows a single set of up to 10 devices in many first-grade classrooms — responds to concerns about recreational screen time and aligns with recent national conversations about early-childhood technology use. Opponents, including a number of classroom teachers who spoke during public comment, said the change was rushed, will be difficult to operationalize and will disproportionately harm students who rely on school devices for equitable access to instruction.

"Technology doesn't replace the teacher, but it does scale our impact," said Amy Riley, a librarian and 30-year educator, who told the board removing classroom devices will reduce instructional options and require time and money to build alternatives. Laura Beth Lorber, a kindergarten teacher and parent, told board members that "just because we can doesn't mean that we should," urging the board not to rescind the compromise reached June 8 because it would worsen inequities for students without home access to technology.

Board member Matthew Culpepper, who moved the rescission, said confusion about amendments and last-minute changes to the posted language drove his motion. "I'll take the hit — I should have asked for this to be reduced to writing when we were dealing with this last time," Culpepper said, describing how different circulated versions created uncertainty among members.

Superintendent Dr. Aaron Robertson, who briefed the board on implementation concerns, said the division does not yet have hard evidence about the long-term instructional impact of removing or limiting devices. "I can't look at anyone in the eye and say, this is the right decision," Robertson said, adding that schools and teachers will need support and monitoring as the district implements changes.

Board debate focused heavily on how the policy would be operationalized: how first graders would access shared devices (library rotations or alternative spaces), how library and SOL testing schedules might conflict with device access, and whether additional staffing or professional learning would be required. Several board members urged a phased approach; others said the policy reflected necessary action on screen time.

After the rescission vote (6–5), the board voted 6–5 to adopt the amended policy 618 as presented in the meeting packet. The board also rejected a motion to send the policy back to the Policy Review Committee for further review (vote 6–5 against referral). Several members said they would monitor outcomes closely and expect quarterly feedback from teachers.

The board's action will require administrators and building leaders to produce operational plans over the summer and early fall; the division said it would form teacher working groups to develop assignment substitutions and monitor student outcomes. The policy change takes effect subject to school-level implementation planning and any required regulatory steps.

The board spent more than an hour of debate on the agenda item, reflecting sharply differing views among members about policy process, timing and the balance between professional educator input and community concerns. Several speakers warned the move could affect students required to take online state assessments in grade 2 and beyond, and asked the board to ensure additional supports for teachers during implementation.

The board meeting packet included the amended policy language and an impact timeline; several board members said they would expect updates from staff during the 2026–27 school year. The board did not vote to delay implementation pending further study.