School Safety News Digest: Screen Time Limits, AI Policies, and Cybersecurity

📝 Editor's Note

School safety is constantly evolving, making it difficult to keep up with every development. The School Security Leadership News Digest highlights the news, research, policy changes, and emerging trends most relevant to school safety leaders.

As the 2026–27 school year gets underway, technology is a major focus in this edition. Schools are reconsidering instructional screen time as new cell phone restrictions take effect, cybersecurity and digital safety remain priorities, and districts are moving from conversations about artificial intelligence toward policies, training, and oversight.

We've also seen a wave of new research that could provide useful data for planning, funding requests, and conversations with district leaders and other stakeholders.

— Amy Rock
Editor-in-Chief

👀 What We're Watching

⭐ Schools Are Rethinking Instructional Screen Time

Cell phone restrictions are taking effect in schools across the country this fall, but phones aren't the only screens getting a second look. Some states and districts are also reconsidering how frequently students use laptops, tablets, and other devices during the school day, particularly in younger grades.

The shift follows the rapid expansion of one-to-one devices during and after the pandemic. As schools establish new boundaries around personal devices, some are also asking when classroom technology supports learning, when it may interfere with it, and whether every student needs access to an individual device throughout the school day.

Recent Headlines on Instructional Screen Time

• Schools Are Rethinking Whether Every Student Needs a Laptop
• Greenville County Schools Rolls Out New Technology Policy
• LAUSD Students Return to School with New Screen Time Limits
• Marietta Schools to Limit Classroom Laptop Screen Time, Emphasize Teacher-Led Learning
• Utah Bill Prohibits Screen Time in Grades K-3
• Iowa Law Puts Statewide Limits on Classroom Screen Time for Younger Students

⭐ Cybersecurity and Digital Safety Remain a Priority

Cybersecurity and digital safety are receiving renewed attention as the school year begins, with new federal resources, proposed legislation, and district initiatives focused on protecting school systems and students online.

CISA recently released new cybersecurity resources specifically for K–12 schools and districts, while bipartisan federal legislation has been introduced to strengthen cybersecurity resources available to schools. Districts are also implementing new digital safety measures, and recent reporting points to a shift toward longer-term cyber resilience strategies.

Recent Headlines on Cybersecurity and Digital Safety

• Nunn Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Protect Students by Strengthening School Cybersecurity Resources
• Dickson County Schools Rolling Out New Digital Safety Measure
• K–12 Schools Are Shifting to a Longer-Term Cyber Resilience Strategy
• S.C. State Leaders Urge Focus on Digital Threats

⭐ AI Conversations Shift Toward Policy, Training, and Oversight

Artificial intelligence continues to be a major topic in K–12 schools, but recent developments show the conversation shifting from experimentation toward policy, implementation, and oversight.

Districts are developing policies governing student AI use, schools are considering AI-powered security and surveillance technologies, and administrators are confronting questions surrounding staff training, procurement, privacy, and responsible implementation. Students from all 50 states have also contributed to a national framework outlining recommendations for AI use in schools.

Recent Headlines on AI in Schools

• Can AI Technology Really Stop School Violence Before It Happens?
• California School Board Says It Unknowingly Approved $1.9 Million in AI Surveillance Cameras
• Uvalde School Board Seeks More Staff Training on AI Safety Program
• Hamblen County Schools Roll Out New AI, Safety and Technology Policies as Students Return
• Students From All 50 States Produce National Framework for AI in America's Schools
• Schools Spend Billions on AI, but Struggle to Figure Out What's Worth Buying
• Using AI Observation and Analytics to Support Student Success
• Knox County Schools Considers Social Media Ban, AI Restrictions for Students

⭐ New Research Gives School Safety Leaders More Data to Work With

A wave of new school safety research and data has been released in recent weeks, covering student behavior, mental health, school security priorities, transportation, extreme heat, and other issues affecting K–12 schools.

For school safety leaders, these findings can do more than provide a snapshot of current conditions. Research and data can help inform planning, evaluate programs, support funding requests, and provide evidence when discussing safety priorities with superintendents, school boards, parents, and other stakeholders.

Recent School Safety Research & Reports

• A Leading School Shootings Researcher Says He Was Wrong
• NC High School Students Report Increased Safety and Mental Health, Decrease in Risk Behaviors
• Genetec's 2026 State of Physical Security Report
• New Data on Teen and Young Adult Mental Health: What's Improving, and What Still Needs Attention
• 75% of Educators Expect Student Behavior to Be a Challenge This Year
• 76% Say Reliable Transportation Makes Child More Successful in School, Research Finds
• Massachusetts Cut School Suspensions. Are Emergency Removals Taking Their Place?
• Why Extreme Heat Matters for Schools

🚨 Safety Incidents

Recent incidents and threats we're following:

• Gaffney Student Identified After Deadly Shooting at Bus Stop Days Into New School Year
• 2 Custodians Found Shot Dead Inside Chicago Elementary School
• 14-Year-Old Crawford County Student Arrested for Allegedly Planning School Shooting
• Georgia Middle School Student Charged After Reported School Threat Days Into New School Year
• Man Enters New York Jewish School With Hammer, Injures Child; NYPD Investigates Antisemitic Motive

📰 More News We're Following

A few additional school safety stories and perspectives worth your attention:

• School Cameras May Protect Students. But Who Protects the Footage?
• Before Technology: Why School Security Must Start with the Fundamentals — written by NCSSD founding board member Guy Bliesner
• How to Ground School Safety Technology in Sound Decision-Making — written by NCSSD member Jillian Haring
• Why School Policing Is Unlike Any Other Assignment in Law Enforcement — written by NCSSD member Frank Fanelli
• Berkeley County Teachers Hear Live Gunfire as Part of Back-to-School Safety Training
• School District Installs Safety Shelters to Protect Students and Staff From Emergencies

⚖️ Legislation & Policy

Recent state policy and legislative developments affecting school safety:

• Illinois Governor Signs School Panic Alert Systems Bill Into Law
• New South Carolina Law Gives School Boards More Flexibility in Student Discipline
• Kentucky Law Requires One-Year Expulsion for Certain Student Assaults
• Florida Schools Now Must Send Student Discipline Records to Colleges
• New Colorado Law Expands School Zones to 1,000 Feet After 13-Year-Old Was Killed in Crash

🎉 On a Positive Note

Some good news from the school safety community:

• Shelter Dogs Become School K9 Officers in Williamson County

Know of a story, research report, or resource school safety leaders should know about? We'd love to hear from you. Email editor@ncssd.org.