Petition for Intentional Technology Use in Henrico County Schools

The largest school districts in the country, led by LA Unified's recent resolution, are moving on classroom screen time — setting hard grade-level limits, eliminating devices for the youngest students, blocking student-led use of YouTube and other streaming platforms, and tracking total weekly screen time. This isn't happening because administrators woke up and decided to act. It's happening because parents organized, showed up, and made it impossible to ignore.

Henrico families are doing exactly that — and it's working. This petition reached 1,000 signatures in a single month. On June 11, we brought it straight to the school board: 30 written public comments for the record and 15 community members at the podium — 45 voices in one night. The board saw exactly what their community expects.

It's already moving the conversation. HCPS has now held a parent feedback session, leadership has acknowledged that technology "has gone too far" in the district, and they're gathering parent input over the summer before launching a task force. That's real progress — but a listening session and a task force are not policy, and early signals suggest the changes on the table may not go as far as families are asking. This is exactly the moment pressure matters most.

Here's how to keep it up. The next parent feedback session is Tuesday, July 14, 5:30–7:00 PM at Glen Allen Public Library — numbers count, so please attend if you can (email us at centralvabalanceproject@gmail.com if you're interested in attending). And if you know anyone who hasn't yet emailed their school board members and the superintendent, urge them to do so. If the district doesn't deliver real change, the next board meeting is Thursday, August 13 — and we'll show up bigger. You don't need to be an expert; one specific story about your own child and one clear ask is what matters most.