A Charlotte parent group is asking Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to block YouTube on all student devices and eliminate technology in the earliest grades.

Schools Beyond Screens presented six recommendations at the CMS board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to WCNC. The group told board members students are spending too much time in front of screens and called for protections in early education. Any district-wide technology policy would affect Ballantyne students at schools including Ardrey Kell and Ballantyne Ridge high schools and their feeder campuses.

Two of the six proposals are public. One would block YouTube on student devices across all grade levels, though teachers could still use the platform for classroom instruction. The other would eliminate all student technology use in kindergarten through second grade, with exceptions for required state testing and accommodations for students with disabilities.

CMS separately tightened some technology rules when the 2026-27 school year began in August. The district stopped K-2 students from independently accessing YouTube on their iPads, according to the Charlotte Ledger. Teachers can still lead classes using the platform. The district also said technology should be used only when needed for learning, not as a substitute for physical activity during indoor recess.

The group's new proposals go further. Blocking YouTube district-wide would affect students in every grade, not just K-2. Eliminating all student technology in the early grades would remove devices from individual student use entirely, not just restrict one website.

CMS pushed back on the broader YouTube ban. The district said it is not blocking YouTube district-wide but confirmed K-2 students will not access the platform individually. District leaders said the broader technology question is still being reviewed, WCNC reported. No timeline for a decision was given.

Schools Beyond Screens has pressed CMS on technology before. Earlier this year, the group urged the board to reconsider i-Ready, the online reading and math program made by Curriculum Associates. After what WFAE described as a tense hearing, the board in June approved a one-year contract worth more than $4 million instead of the two-year deal CMS had requested. The board required staff to bring back additional data on the platform.

No follow-up meeting date or board vote on the screen-time recommendations has been announced.