Prince William Schools block YouTube on devices starting 2026-27

Prince William County Public Schools says students will lose access to YouTube on school-issued devices starting in the 2026-27 school year, both in school and at home. Superintendent LaTanya McDade tied the change to difficulties limiting students within YouT

Prince William County Public Schools is cutting off YouTube access on school-issued devices starting in the 2026-27 school year, a move designed to curb what district leaders say has been an unmanageable problem inside the video platform.

The ban means students will no longer be able to access YouTube directly on their school division-issued devices, in school and at home. That includes YouTube.com as well as the YouTube app.

Superintendent LaTanya McDade laid out the reasoning at the School Board’s May 20 meeting, saying that even though online video can support learning, the district can’t reliably control how students use YouTube.

“While online video can be a valuable instructional resource. there is not an effective. reliable way within YouTube to consistently limit students to a single video within the YouTube platform. ” McDade said. “As a result. this change is intended to better support student engagement and appropriate technology use. supporting both teachers and families.”.

The district stressed that the shift does not eliminate video in instruction. Teachers will continue to incorporate video and multimedia resources aligned with curriculum, and students will still be able to view teacher-selected videos through approved instructional platforms, officials said.

At the same May 20 meeting, local resident Kate Olson-Flynn argued the district should go further than removing YouTube. She said elementary-age students “do not need to learn on iPads or computers,” and that simply taking away YouTube would not fix what she views as a deeper issue.

“Solely taking away YouTube will not change the outcome,” Olson-Flynn said. “The problem is the computer itself.”

Olson-Flynn urged a return to more traditional materials, saying PWCS has invested millions of dollars into technology programs, online curriculum, and iPads while failing to deliver improved results.

“PWCS has spent millions of dollars on tech programs, online curriculum, iPads, with the mistaken belief that this technology would be the panacea for test scores and to prepare students for the digital age,” Olson-Flynn said. “The reality is that our kids are struggling more than ever.”

She described what she sees as a focus problem tied to devices, saying students are “overstimulated” because they spend “much of their time on computers, their free time on computers, isolated with headphones on, in classrooms staring at screens.”

Olson-Flynn cited research she said shows screen-based reading and watching isn’t the same as reading a book or being read to by a teacher or parent.

“Counting actual manipulatives is not the same thing as watching a video count for you,” she said.

Another parent and school system staff member, Megan Feaman, also spoke during the meeting. Feaman said she appreciated the district’s decision to remove access to YouTube, but worried that concerns were raised too late.

“One of my own students was using YouTube during the school day to search for things like Lego and hockey videos,” Feaman said. “Over time, the algorithm began suggesting disturbing and inappropriate content. I did not consent to that exposure.”

Feaman said she reviewed the device used during a school day and found how much time students were spending on the platform during school hours.

“When I review the device for a school day, it is alarming to see how much time is spent not only on the device itself but specifically on YouTube during school hours,” Feaman said.

She argued that the school system is increasingly relying on screens for instruction even as evidence grows about the “addictive” nature of technology and how it affects learning and development.

Feaman pointed to research on the negative impacts of screen time on attention, reading development and overall learning. In her role as a part-time support nurse in the school system, she said she has treated students for headaches she said are “directly attributed to school screen time use.”

“Technology will continue to be a part of our students’ lives, but we must find a healthier balance that allows students to learn, build relationships and develop healthy habits,” Feaman said.

McDade said PWCS will keep examining how “instructional technology” is used in classrooms to ensure it stays “purposeful, age appropriate and supports student success.”

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