SchoolsFriday, November 6
Seattle schools will block YouTube, Minecraft and Gemini starting Monday
The SEAtoday team
If you have a child in Seattle Public Schools, the rules change Monday, Nov. 9. The district will block YouTube for K-5 students, block Minecraft for all students except in approved lessons, and block Gemini and other unapproved AI tools, including Google Search's AI summaries. Officials announced the changes at a School Board meeting Wednesday and said they'd fixed a "loophole" students used to reach Gemini.
Screen limits roll out in three steps
- Sept.Announced: K-2 students no longer get iPads, and screen time is capped at 30 minutes
- Nov. 9YouTube blocked for K-5; Minecraft and unapproved AI tools blocked for all
- Jan. 2027Grades 3-5 will lose their own laptops and get 60 minutes a day
Superintendent Ben Shuldiner told KIRO Newsradio the changes fix a problem from the pandemic, when the district handed out laptops and stopped controlling access. "And now we’re kind of suffering the consequences of that," he said. Parents rallied outside district headquarters, and members of Seattle Families for Intentional Tech said it's a start but they still have concerns.
- Tests: district and state tests don't count toward the limits
- Rewards: teachers can't use devices as rewards, incentives or free time
- Next up: middle and high schools, with a different approach
- Home: families can still check out computers
The daily device limit doubles for grades 3-5
Sources: MyNorthwest.com, KOMO
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Grades K-2 | 30 min |
| Grades 3-5, from January | 60 min |
Sources: KOMO, KUOW, MyNorthwest.com, FOX 13 Seattle