Granite School District holds a Community Council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. to present its plans for HB273, the state law restricting student screen time and device use.

The meeting gives Millcreek-area parents their first public forum on how the district will carry out the law. Chris Larsen, the district's director of educational technology, is scheduled to present, according to the meeting agenda. Dr. Tyler Howe, assistant superintendent, will take questions afterward.

What the law changes

Gov. Spencer Cox signed HB273 into law on March 18. The law, sponsored by Rep. Ariel Defay and Sen. Chris Wilson, took effect July 1 and is among the first in the country to set classroom screen-time limits for young students, according to MultiState.

For kindergarten through third grade, classroom screen time is largely prohibited except for teaching basic computer science or administering state tests. Schools cannot require a one-device-per-student ratio in those grades. K-3 students also cannot take school-issued devices home, and homework cannot require internet access, according to Lehi Free Press.

Students in grades four through six may still use technology in class, but it must be supervised and tied to a specific academic purpose. Devices cannot go home with those students either.

Middle school students may take devices home only with written parental consent. High school students keep take-home access unless parents opt out.

The law also requires districts to notify parents when generative AI is used in instruction.

Where Granite SD stands

The district's board approved a first reading of an updated electronic devices policy on Aug. 4 by a 6-0 vote, with one member absent, according to board minutes. That update establishes separate rules for high school device use and requires each school to designate an area where students may use electronic devices during non-instructional time.

Board member Julie Jackson, who represents Millcreek and Holladay as the Precinct 1 member, will open Tuesday's meeting. Jackson is set to resign from the board effective Dec. 31 after winning a primary for the Utah House of Representatives.

In a June interview with the Millcreek Journal, Jackson voiced support for limiting devices: "I think it is better to put cell phones away during the school day. I also think we need to limit access to Chromebooks."

The district said in its July Parent Link newsletter that it had developed teacher guidance on AI use emphasizing human oversight, age-appropriate use and student data privacy.

What comes next

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) must finalize a model technology policy by Dec. 1. Granite School District will then align its own policies with that guidance. Districts have the 2026-27 school year to adapt, with full implementation targeted for the 2027-28 school year, according to KSL.