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Parent urges East Lansing schools to curb student screen time and questions Chromebook spending
Summary
At the July 13 East Lansing Public Schools board meeting, a parent identified as Molly urged the district to reduce classroom screen time, said data showing minutes on YouTube was 'astonishing,' and questioned the district's Chromebook spending—citing an estimated $800,000 per year—and noted a petition of more than 300 signatures asking for an 'off-ramp.'
A parent who identified herself as Molly told the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education on July 13 that district and family data show students are spending an 'astonishing' number of minutes on screens and called for a plan to reduce classroom screen time.
Molly, a parent of two East Lansing students, said she was grateful for teachers and staff but that her review of district and family data showed many minutes on screens, including what she characterized as numerous YouTube videos. "YouTube is not educational," she said, and asked the board to consider the return on investment of district Chromebooks. She estimated the district was spending "about 800,000 a year," and said a petition signed by more than 300 community members and a parent-run survey express concern that the district lacks a coherent tech-use plan.
The petition and survey, Molly said, call for clearer district goals for technology in classrooms and for an "off-ramp" from current levels of screen use. She asked the board to report what measurable benefits Chromebooks deliver — such as improvements in test scores, engagement, or attention span — and to share teachers' views on whether the devices add instructional value.
Superintendent Lakeland had offered the district's staff the opportunity to clarify or correct misunderstandings during the public comment rules announcement, but at the meeting no detailed staff response or policy change was recorded. The board did not take action on the issue at the July 13 meeting.
The concern comes as the district's policy committee is reviewing several student-facing policies, and trustees and staff have scheduled committee meetings in the coming weeks. The next regular board meeting is set for Aug. 10, 2026.
