A Beverly Hills kindergartner would no longer receive a school-issued device under a sweeping technology policy introduced to the BHUSD Board of Education on Tuesday, June 23. A Beverly Hills High sophomore would keep a device but face YouTube blocks, gaming restrictions, and homework designed to minimize AI use.

Board President Judy Manouchehri and Vice President Sigalie Sabag drafted the proposal, which separates the district's students into four grade bands with escalating access to technology.

TK through fifth grade: No personal devices issued. Screens permitted only for state-mandated testing, i-Ready assessments, limited teacher displays, and accommodations required by IEPs or Section 504 plans. Students in third through fifth grade would still learn typing, internet safety, and online research skills.

Sixth through eighth grade: Students at Beverly Vista Middle School would receive district devices for the first time, with instruction in coding, cybersecurity, digital citizenship, and media literacy.

Ninth through twelfth grade: Beverly Hills High students would use devices for college readiness and career preparation. Teachers would be encouraged to design homework that minimizes AI use and makes clear whether students produced the work themselves.

District-wide: YouTube and non-curriculum websites blocked on school devices. Gaming prohibited. Families would receive a weekly summary of their child's device use.

Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss cautioned at the meeting that the curriculum the policy requires is unlikely to be ready by the start of the upcoming school year.

Board Member Amanda Stern, an educational psychologist, voiced support and flagged the importance of fifth graders being prepared for the digitally administered California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress.

The June 23 session was a first reading only. A second reading and board vote are still required before the policy takes effect. The board meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at the Leadership & Learning Center, 624 North Rexford Drive. The next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday, July 14, though an official agenda has not yet been posted.