FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Public Schools will stop providing laptops and tablets to prekindergarten and kindergarten students under a motion unanimously approved by the Fairfax County School Board early Friday morning.
The prohibition will take effect during the 2026-27 school year, with exceptions for students who need devices for an Individualized Education Program, Section 504 plan, translation or multilingual education support.
The board amended the original motion to specify that the prohibition will remain in effect while the Educational Technology Review Committee develops recommendations for Superintendent Michelle Reid and pending any subsequent board action, including the adoption of a formal policy. The amendment passed unanimously, as did the amended motion.
The vote was part of a package of seven technology-related motions considered during the board’s Thursday night meeting. All seven ultimately passed, addressing classroom device storage, generative artificial intelligence, internet filtering, personal electronics and possible device opt-outs.
The actions came three weeks after the board unanimously adopted a resolution declaring that education should remain a human-centered endeavor and technology should support — rather than replace — teachers.
That resolution established guiding principles but did not change classroom practices. At the time, several board members and parents urged FCPS to move faster on concrete limits involving screens, artificial intelligence and student devices.
Hunter Mill District representative Melanie Meren introduced Thursday’s motion prohibiting FCPS-issued devices for the division’s youngest students. Meren said laptops and tablets had not originally been part of FCPS’ technology plans for prekindergarten and kindergarten.
Also See ...
“The division has never planned to use devices for the youngest students,” Meren said.
Mount Vernon District representative Mateo Dunne, who seconded the motion, said young children need opportunities to develop fine motor, language and social skills without relying on screens.
The board added the amendment after some members questioned whether approving the prohibition would preempt the recently established Educational Technology Review Committee.
Braddock District representative Tom Dannan, who proposed the amendment, said it would acknowledge the committee’s continuing work while allowing the immediate restriction to take effect.
“This prohibition shall remain in effect pending the Educational Technology Review Committee’s recommendation to the superintendent and any resulting board action, including the adoption of policy,” the amendment says.
Reid told the board that the committee’s input could improve implementation of any technology changes affecting classrooms across the division. She also cautioned that reducing device use could require additional instructional resources and support for educators.
The board also approved a motion directing Reid to provide a plan by Nov. 12 for storing FCPS-issued laptops and tablets when students are not using them for instruction. The plan must include a proposed timeline for divisionwide implementation and preserve access for students who need devices for accommodations, translation or multilingual support.
Meren characterized the measure as an information-gathering motion intended to establish consistent practices rather than impose a specific storage system.
Superintendent Reid said the current one-to-one device program covers grades one through 12. Developing a storage plan could require FCPS to consider differences among schools, available classroom space and whether new carts or other equipment would have to be purchased.
A separate motion concerning generative AI was substantially amended before passage. The original proposal would have prohibited all students from using FCPS-provided generative AI tools until the board adopted a formal policy.
As amended, the measure prohibits elementary students from using generative AI tools and restricts their use by secondary students unless a principal, the superintendent or a designee provides written authorization for a specialized project or specific purpose. The amendment also moved the deadline for an FCPS inventory of generative AI tools from Nov. 12 to Jan. 14, 2027. The amendments and final motion passed.
Other approved measures direct FCPS to:
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
McLean, VA Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.