Los Angeles Unified suspends generative AI on district devices
LAUSD suspended generative AI on district devices for all students starting 2026-27, administrators confirmed at a September 2 committee meeting.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has suspended student access to generative AI tools on district-issued devices for the 2026-27 school year, senior administrators confirmed at a school board committee meeting on September 2, 2026. The LAUSD AI moratorium affects an estimated 378,000 students across the second-largest school district in the United States and follows a separately announced restriction in New York City schools days earlier.
How the moratorium took effect
Unlike New York City’s ban, which Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the schools chancellor announced as formal policy, LAUSD’s moratorium was put in place by administrators, including Chief Academic Officer Pia Sadaqatmal and interim Chief Information Officer Douglas Le, who said their authority stemmed from the school board’s unanimous screen-time policy vote in June 2026, according to Education Week. Board members Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin said at the meeting that they had not authorized an AI-specific measure and learned it was already in effect. “That didn’t really come from the board,” Melvoin said, according to Education Week’s report.
The suspension applies only to district-owned devices; LAUSD cannot restrict generative AI on students’ personal devices, though activity is trackable when a student is logged into a school account, K-12 Dive reported. Teachers are not affected and can continue using AI tools in their own work. Previously, students aged 13 and older who completed digital-citizenship training and signed LAUSD’s Responsible Use Policy could access approved generative AI tools; that access is now suspended across all grades pending a policy review.
A second major district restricts AI
LAUSD’s move follows New York City’s decision to ban student-facing AI from 2-K to eighth grade while allowing limited access in high school. The two districts differ in scope and process: NYC’s ban was a formal mayoral and chancellor policy targeting younger grades specifically, while LAUSD’s moratorium covers all grades on district devices and emerged through administrative practice rather than a board vote, TechPolicy.press reported. The moves come as national policy debate continues elsewhere: student delegates recently negotiated a national policy framework for AI use in K-12 schools, while individual districts continue to set their own rules, an approach outlined in Winss Solutions’ 10-step implementation guide for AI in schools.
| District | Students affected | Grades covered | How adopted | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAUSD | ~378,000 | K-12, district devices | Administrative practice, citing June 2026 board screen-time vote | 2026-27 school year |
| NYC Public Schools | ~600,000 (2-K to 8th grade) | 2-K through 8th grade | Mayoral and chancellor policy announcement | 2026-27 school year |
Source: Education Week, September 3-4, 2026; TechPolicy.press, September 2026.
Background
Los Angeles Unified School District is the second-largest public school system in the United States, serving grades K-12 across Los Angeles and surrounding communities. The board voted unanimously in June 2026 to adopt a broader policy limiting student screen time and technology use by grade level starting in the 2026-27 school year, a measure administrators cited as the basis for extending restrictions to generative AI specifically. The district has operated without a permanent superintendent since former superintendent Alberto Carvalho was placed on administrative leave in April 2026 amid an investigation and later resigned, leaving the AI moratorium without a superintendent’s public backing, unlike New York’s chancellor-led announcement. LAUSD board members have said they intend to review the scope and duration of the AI moratorium in upcoming committee sessions.
Sources: Education Week; K-12 Dive; TechPolicy.press; NBC Los Angeles
Featured image: photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels (free Pexels license).
Become a Sponsor
Our website is the heart of the mission of WINSS – it’s where we share updates, publish research, highlight community impact, and connect with supporters around the world. To keep this essential platform running, updated, and accessible, we rely on the generosity of you, who believe in our work.
We offer the option to sponsor monthly, or just once choosing the amount of your choice. If you run a company, please contact us via info@winssolutions.org.
I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
