Why Is Lower Merion School District Ignoring Its Own Technology Policy?

Established in 1834, the prestigious Lower Merion School District in leafy, middle class Ardmore, PA is one of the oldest public school systems in Pennsylvania.  LMSD’s 8,700 students attend 6 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 high schools. Ardmore’s poverty rate is less than 5 percent, and the median home value is almost a half-million dollars.

LMSD has been working for over fifteen years toward fully implementing 24/7 access to free computer screens for all children in its middle and high schools.  In a community where over 90 percent of homes have broadband access and over 70 percent of its population have college degrees, this plan had overwhelming support 10 years ago, just as the first peer-reviewed evidence began to surface that heavy doses of screen time are toxic to normal child development. Even as the science on the evidence of harm continued to mount, the LMSD continued to move forward with building its curriculum around 24/7 access to computers. 

Then, in 2025 the American Psychological Association concluded that "spending too much time on screens may cause emotional and behavioral problems in children—and those problems can lead to even more screen use. . .”  

APA’s sweeping conclusion is based on in part on an international meta-analysis of research studies on the effects of screen time on children. From APA’s Press Release last year:

. . . The findings suggest parents might want to be cautious about what screens they allow and use parental controls to manage time, said Noetel. He also noted that kids who use screens heavily might need emotional support, not just restrictions. Parents could benefit from programs helping them handle both screen use and emotional problems.

“This comprehensive study highlights the need for a nuanced approach to managing children’s screen time,” said lead author Roberta Vasconcellos, PhD, a lecturer at the University of New South Wales who conducted the research while a doctoral student at Australian Catholic University. “By understanding the bidirectional relationship between screen use and socioemotional problems, parents, educators, and policymakers can better support children’s healthy development in an increasingly digital world.”

Because every study in the meta-analysis followed kids over time, the research is a big step closer to cause‑and‑effect (as opposed to correlation) than the usual snapshots done at a single point in time, according to Noetel.

“It’s about as close as we can get to causal evidence without randomly cutting screens for thousands of kids,” he said. “But still, we can’t completely rule out other factors—like parenting style—that could influence both screen use and emotional problems.” 

Given the growing body of evidence recommending caution in screen exposure for children, LMSD has doubled down on its technology plan for 24/7 screen access, even as over 400 parents have signed a petition put forward by the grassroots group, “Pencils Over Pixels” (POP).POP considers itself pro-child, rather than anti-technology, and parents of the group demand that LMSD examine the scientific evidence on the effects of screen exposure on children.  

Citing LMSD School Board policy (Administrative Regulation R137, Attachment D), POP is requesting that their children be allowed to opt-out of the District’s technology requirements. 

In the event that the parent/guardian of a student, or the student themselves if the student is over 18, decline to participate in the One-to-One Electronic Device Initiative by refusing to sign an Agreement for Electronic Device Use, the building principal shall be responsible for making necessary accommodations for the student to ensure that the student’s education is not adversely affected. Such accommodations may include access to printed resources and access to building based electronic devices in areas such as Libraries and Help Centers.

Apparently, LMSD Superintendent Dr. Frank Ranelli sees no reason to abide by the Board approved Regulations.  During a March 2026 policy meeting, he told parents requesting to opt out their children,  "We do not have that opportunity for you to do that. Our curriculum is delivered the way it’s delivered, and part of that curriculum is done with electronic devices.”

If I were an LMSD school board member, I would be questioning this position, particularly in light of the potential legal exposure that could result from ignoring published scientific evidence regarding the harm to children associated with screen time.