The Lockhart Independent School District is reducing classroom screen time and expanding opportunities for play and hands-on learning as part of a new districtwide initiative for the 2026-27 school year.
Approved by the district’s Board of Trustees in June, the “Childhood Unlocked” initiative will reduce elementary students’ screen time during the school day by 50 percent while increasing free play and recess by the same amount.
Secondary students will also have more opportunities for free play, and classroom device use will be limited to no more than half of each class period.
To implement the changes, the district is expanding recess for students in prekindergarten through fifth grade, including additional opportunities in the morning and afternoon. Students in sixth through eighth grade will have designated free-play time before school and during lunch.
Teachers are also receiving training on using technology intentionally, with an emphasis on hands-on activities and traditional instructional methods rather than replacing them with digital tools.
The initiative comes as Texas schools face growing questions about the academic benefits of classroom technology, following years of increased investment in digital instruction.
In 2011, the 82nd Texas Legislature expanded the state’s Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment (IMTA) to allow districts to use state funds for educational technology, including digital instructional materials and classroom devices. The transition to online STAAR testing and the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the adoption of student devices.
During the 2025-26 school year, $364 million was disbursed through the IMTA, with $247 million going toward online or electronic materials and another $18.6 million toward laptops and tablets, according to research from the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Matthew McCormick.
The growing investment has prompted questions about whether digital instruction is delivering the promised academic benefits.
Earlier this year, neuroscientist and former teacher Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath testified before Congress that increased reliance on screens could be contributing to declining cognitive performance among young people, emphasizing the importance of human interaction in learning.
Those concerns have also shaped Lockhart ISD’s approach.
According to the district, the initiative grew out of discussions throughout the 2025-26 school year about student wellness, engagement, screen time, and childhood development.
Superintendent Mark Estrada also hosted a community and parent book study centered on The Anxious Generation, which examines the effects of technology and social media on young people.
“Our goal is to be proactive and intentional in supporting students,” Estrada said in the district’s June announcement. “We want our classrooms to continue preparing students for the future while also protecting the relationships, experiences, and healthy habits that help children thrive today.”
The district is not eliminating classroom technology, but instead shifting toward a more balanced use of digital tools alongside traditional instruction, physical activity, and face-to-face collaboration.
Clear Fork Elementary Principal Michelle Hale said she hopes other schools will examine the initiative and visit the campus to observe its implementation.
“I would love for other schools to research and to look at this and to come and observe and see what’s going on here,” Hale told Spectrum News.
