High Prairie School Division is looking at cutting back on screen time in the classroom.
At their May 19 meeting, the Board of Trustees talked about a “tech-limited” plan for the future. The idea is to have classrooms from Kindergarten to Grade 3 be almost completely screen-free.
Kids in Grades 4 through 6 would slowly start using technology. Junior high students would use it more, and high schoolers would have full access. This plan matches the division’s upcoming artificial intelligence rules, which will also ban AI for K-3 students.
School officials pointed out that children’s vocabularies are shrinking.
Decades ago, kids started school knowing about 50,000 words. Today, that number has dropped to around 21,000. While computers were brought into schools to help kids learn differently, trustees agreed things might have gone too far.
“Some of us do great with technology, and we remember things just by typing them,” said Trustee Tammy Henkel. “But for others, as soon as we type it, it’s gone from our minds. We need to write things down on paper for them to stick. I want every child to succeed, and forcing too much technology on them can become a barrier to learning.”
Trustee Michael Strebchuk agreed, pointing out that countries with top education scores are already scaling back screen time.
“Research shows that too much screen time is hurting math, reading, and social skills,” said Strebchuk. “Some of our own students have even told us they are overwhelmed by screens and want to go back to paper. When our kids tell us how they need to learn, we have to listen.”
The board made it clear that screens won’t disappear overnight. Helpful tools like speech-to-text for students who need them will stay. Also, provincial tests still have to be done on computers by law. The tech-limit idea will be the main topic for community talks next year, so parents can share their thoughts before any rules change in September 2027.
Moving on to money matters, the board unanimously passed the 2026-2027 school year budget. Officials confirmed the division is looking at a perfectly balanced budget with zero deficit.
A big piece of good news in the budget is new provincial funding to help with crowded and challenging classrooms. The division is getting money for one new “complexity team,” which includes a teacher and two educational assistants. They also received funding to hire three more teachers to help lower class sizes across the region.
The board also took time to clear up confusion about graduation costs. To help families dealing with the high cost of living, the board capped the maximum graduation fee at $250 per student.
Trustees wanted to make sure everyone understands that this $250 covers the actual school ceremony, including the cap, gown, and certificate. Students do not need to raise thousands of dollars in community fundraisers—like cake auctions or selling chocolates—just to walk across the stage.
Some parents worry their child cannot graduate if they don’t help fundraise. Trustees promised this is simply not true. The official ceremony belongs to the school, while all the extra parties and banquets are separate, optional community events. For a maximum of $250, any student can take part in their graduation ceremony without doing any outside fundraising.
Armaan Khanna
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter