Gov. Greg Abbott proposes further limiting screen time in K-12 classrooms
By Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune
August 13, 2026
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday proposed further limiting screen time in K-12 schools, framing the idea as a way to improve student learning across the state and building off the Legislature’s move to ban cell phones in public school classrooms.
Citing studies purportedly showing decreased screen time leading to improved academic outcomes, Abbott said he wants legislators to limit the use of electronic devices like laptops and tablets in classrooms and to “emphasize” physical materials including books, handwriting and “direct teacher instruction.”
“Technology should only be used for specific lessons and specific assessments, not as a substitute for teachers or other proven methods of learning,” Abbott said at a campaign stop at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. “Screens should support learning, not hinder it.”
Abbott did not outline how the screen limits would vary across grade levels or what the restrictions would entail. The proposal would have to be taken up by the Legislature when it convenes next year.
The initiative comes after many schools tapped federal relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic to invest heavily in laptops and devices to facilitate virtual instruction. Since then, and as artificial intelligence proliferates, schools and lawmakers have begun reconsidering how screens are used in classrooms.
In May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a Surgeon General’s Warning on the risks of excessive screen use to children’s mental and physical health. Six states have enacted laws addressing screen time in classroom.
Some districts in Texas have already begun scaling back how much technology teachers use in the classroom and limiting AI use by elementary school students.
In Texas, lawmakers last year overwhelmingly approved a ban on cellphone use in public K-12 schools. The measure went into effect Sept. 1, requiring the state’s more than 1,200 school districts to implement policies ranging from secure device pouches to increased monitoring. School officials have since reported positive effects after long-running concerns about phones and social media distracting students during lessons.
Abbott cited the results of the ban in advocating for further limits on screen time, noting that educators reported improved class participation and grades and less bullying and cyberbullying in the school year since the measure went into effect. He added that some schools in Texas already limit screen time, typically by capping the number of minutes students spend on screens per class or per day.
“One educator put it well,” he said. “‘She said, ‘There’s nothing more powerful than a classroom with students paying attention and a highly effective teacher using a great curriculum. That is the recipe for a top education.’”
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.