The Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved a new policy establishing districtwide guidelines for classroom technology, digital learning and artificial intelligence education.

Approved in a 5-0 vote, Board Policy 6163.47, “Intentional Technology Use in the Classroom, Digital Learning, and Artificial Intelligence Education,” outlines grade-level expectations for technology use while emphasizing traditional instructional methods and foundational academic skills.

The policy was developed following three public board study sessions and community input. The board designated President Judy Manouchehri and Vice President Sigalie Sabag to help guide the policy’s development.

The policy states that technology should support, rather than replace, classroom instruction. It maintains an emphasis on direct teacher instruction, handwriting, physical books, mathematical computation by hand, classroom discussion, experiential learning, oral communication and independent reasoning.

“BHUSD has proven it is a leader in the educational landscape,” Manouchehri said. “This historic policy provides a step-by-step framework with deliberate and appropriate limitations on technology use. It protects our students’ natural creativity and curiosity during their younger years while providing greater access to technology and AI education as they mature, preparing them to lead in the future. By protecting foundational learning while advancing future readiness, BHUSD is setting a standard for school districts across the nation.”

Under the policy, transitional kindergarten through second grade students will not be assigned one-to-one devices except where required for assessments, teacher-led activities or legally required accommodations. Students in grades three through five will continue using handwriting, printed books and paper-based mathematics while participating in a technology and innovation program covering coding, robotics, digital citizenship, media literacy, internet safety and introductory artificial intelligence concepts.

Middle school students will receive annual instruction in artificial intelligence literacy, digital ethics, cybersecurity, coding, research, media literacy and responsible digital citizenship. High school students will use technology to support advanced coursework, college readiness and career preparation while continuing to emphasize writing, discussion, critical thinking and original student work.

“Technology should never replace the essential work of learning,” Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss said. “This policy removes unnecessary screen time so our classrooms can remain laser-focused on writing, experiential learning, critical thinking and the foundational power of pen and paper. At the same time, BHUSD is advancing AI literacy, ethical use and prompt engineering toward a graduation requirement so our students are prepared not simply to enter the future, but to lead and shape it.”

The policy also restricts gaming and noncurricular websites on district-issued devices, provides families with weekly device-use summaries and prohibits teachers from using artificial intelligence to grade student work, assign scores, generate final evaluative comments or replace professional judgment.

The new policy builds on Resolution No. 2025-2026-14, which the board approved in March 2026.

For information, visit bhusd.org.