Fairfax School Board Orders Review Of Device Opt-Outs, Tech Limits And AI Literacy

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County School Board voted Thursday to direct Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid to develop recommendations on limiting instructional technology, creating device opt-out options for families and strengthening digital literacy instruction.

The board’s action stopped short of immediately approving several proposed restrictions, including a proposal to prohibit digital devices for instruction in pre-K through second grade and to bar student use of AI in grades 8 and below as part of an AI literacy plan. Instead, board members approved an amended motion requiring Reid to review the feasibility, equity and educational effectiveness of those ideas in consultation with the Educational Technology Review Committee.

The recommendations are due to the board no later than Nov. 12. Any recommendations approved by the board are to be implemented as soon as practicable and no later than the start of the 2027-28 school year.

In a follow-on motion, the board also directed Reid to create opt-out options by August for parents and guardians of preschool and elementary students who do not want electronic devices sent home with their children.

The amended motion calls for recommendations on four areas: opt-out options for devices going home with students, including budget and equity implications; restrictions on electronic devices for instruction for pre-K through second grade; options for storing devices away from students in higher elementary grades when not intentionally being used for instruction; and enhancements to digital literacy instruction, including professional development for staff.

The recommendations must account for students whose Individualized Education Programs or 504 plans include access to a device, and must align with Fairfax County Public Schools’ inclusive education guidelines and educational equity policy.

Device Use, Generative AI In Classroom Debated

School Board Member Tom Dannan (Braddock), who brought the amendment that replaced the original motions, said during the meeting that the revised language would send the issue to the Educational Technology Review Committee for more detailed work and give the board a timeline to vote on specific recommendations.

The original motions, brought forward for Thursday’s meeting, would have required annual parent or guardian permission for instructional technology to go home with a student, prohibited digital devices for instruction in pre-K through second grade, required devices in grades 3 through 5 to be stored away when not intentionally in use, and directed the superintendent to develop a digital literacy plan that would prohibit AI use by students in grades 8 and below as part of any AI literacy component.

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Board Member Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill) objected during the meeting to what she described as last-minute procedural changes. She said her original motions had been posted weeks earlier and argued that the division needed immediate guardrails.

“My position remains: we need immediate guardrails to limit devices and AI in classrooms now, not just a study,” Meren said. “Arlington has already acted; we should too.”

Before Thursday’s meeting, Meren, who chair's the board's governance committee, said in an interview with Patch that the issue had been under discussion since January through the board’s work on AI and instructional technology policy.

“We currently don’t have any policy about how technology is used in instruction, certainly not one about AI,” Meren said before the meeting. “We don’t even have a policy about whether devices go home or not, parents give permission or not for any grade.”

Meren said the concern began as an AI policy discussion but broadened as parents and educators raised questions about device use more generally.

“Every single conversation I had heard turns to device use,” Meren said. “It’s like, 'What is my kid doing with the computer? How long are they on it? Why is it coming home? Why can’t I opt out?'”

Reid told board members that implementation would require the division to consider state-required electronic assessments, adaptive literacy and math programs, and accommodations for multilingual learners and students with disabilities.

Reid said staff would prioritize opt-out procedures and parent communication for possible action before the school year begins, while broader recommendations would be developed for the November deadline.

“We’ll identify actionable items for August — such as opt-out procedures and parent communication — and present them to the board as soon as they are ready,” Reid said.

Board Members Disagree On How Far To Go

The board’s votes reflected support for continued work on the issue, but also disagreement over how far to go immediately.

The motion to combine the three original motions passed 7-5, with Karl Frisch (Providence), Kyle McDaniel (At-Large), Marcia St. John-Cunning (Franconia), Robyn Lady (Dranesville), Sandy Anderson (Springfield), Seema Dixit (Sully) and Dannan voting yes. Meren, Ryan McElveen (At-Large), Mateo Dunne (Mount Vernon), Ilryong Moon (At-Large) and Ricardy Anderson (Mason) voted no.

The amendment replacing the original language with a review-and-recommendation process passed 10-1. Anderson voted no, and Meren was not present for that vote, according to the voting summary.

The amended combined main motion then passed 11-1, with only Anderson voting no. The follow-on motion requiring opt-out options by August for preschool and elementary students passed with 11 yes votes and one abstention from McDaniel.

Parents Group Calls For Opt-Out Options

Jennifer Cheng, a Fairfax County parent and co-founder of FCPS Parents for Intentional Tech, said before the meeting that her group formed in December and has been advocating for reduced screen time, a rollback of some device use and opt-out options for educational technology and generative AI.

Cheng, whose children attend Oakton Elementary School, said the group includes families from across the county.

“We’re not anti-tech,” Cheng said. “We all use technology; it’s important, but there’s been no study about how much of it should be used.”

Cheng said parents in the group are concerned that one-to-one devices, which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, have remained a routine part of the school day without enough evaluation of their educational benefits or distractions.

“FCPS really quickly acquired one-to-one devices for everyone,” Cheng said. “That was necessary, but since then there’s been no pullback of it.”

She said parents are also concerned about children bypassing monitoring systems and accessing distracting or unsafe material on school devices.

“We expect students to be protected at school, but there is very little filtering, monitoring and enforcement,” Cheng said.

Meren, in her interview before the vote, said she had not yet seen board consensus for immediate action this fall. Thursday’s final action instead set up a two-track process: possible August opt-out options for younger students and a broader set of recommendations by November.

Next Steps For Addressing AI And Device Use

At the end of the discussion, Chair Sandy Anderson summarized the board’s next steps: staff will stand up the Educational Technology Review Committee, consult stakeholders, prioritize opt-out mechanisms for August if practicable and return with full recommendations on device-use restrictions, storage options, digital literacy and AI safeguards by Nov. 12.

Meren said after the vote that she would be watching to see whether the division produces concrete opt-out procedures and early operational details.