LOCKHART, TEXAS — The Lockhart ISD Board of Trustees approved the "Childhood Unlocked" initiative Monday. The plan reduces student technology use and expands free play starting in the 2026–2027 school year.

Adam Miller, director of school safety and community relations, said, "The overarching goal is just to, to re-instill a sense of childhood for our students, to provide more opportunities for children to interact and engage with one another. We want a more healthy and balanced approach to not only to teaching and learning, but to childhood as a whole." Miller added, "One of the main arguments in the book is that we have overprotected children in the real world, under-protected them in the virtual world. And so we as a district really wanted to find ways to partner with our community and our staff to give children the opportunity to unlock– just to be kids."

For pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students, the district will increase free play and recess time by 50 percent. Elementary daily screen time will drop by 50 percent. Secondary students will be limited to technology or Google Classroom occupying no more than 50 percent of any class period. For sixth-grade through eighth-grade students, the district will establish free-play periods before school and during lunch.

The district plans to train teachers to utilize classroom technology for targeted instructional purposes instead of replacing traditional paper-based assignments. The district will also establish a program to teach specific technology competencies, including typing.