Summit elementary schools cutting down technology use next year

July 16, 2026 - 07:53

For the past ten years, every kindergartener and first-grader in the Summit School District has been handed an iPad at the start of the school year. That tradition is about to change. Silverthorne Elementary School Principal Maddie Johnson is leading a push to scale back the district's reliance on classroom technology.

At the end of the school year, Johnson introduced a new plan aimed at reducing screen time for the youngest students. The initiative comes after growing concerns from teachers and parents about the effects of constant device use on attention spans, social skills, and early literacy development. Instead of defaulting to tablets for reading and math exercises, the new approach will emphasize hands-on learning, pencil-and-paper work, and more direct interaction between students and teachers.

Johnson noted that while technology has its place, the district had not fully examined whether daily iPad use was actually helping or hindering young learners. The shift is not a complete ban on devices. Older elementary students may still use technology for specific projects or research. But for kindergarten and first grade, the goal is to rebuild foundational skills without a screen in front of every child.

The change is set to take effect at the start of the next school year. Other schools in the district are watching the pilot program closely, and some have already expressed interest in adopting similar policies.