Elementary and middle school students in Baltimore County Public Schools won’t take home school-issued laptops starting next school year. But schools appear to be working out the details of the major policy change.

A Facebook post by the school system on Friday also noted that elementary schools will no longer provide each student with a laptop during the school day, while suggesting that middle school students would retain access to devices.

That marks a significant shift from the school system’s approach to technology being widely available and equitable, even at home.

The social media post came with no explanation and sparked dozens of questions in the comments.

School system spokesman Charles Herndon told The Baltimore Banner he could not answer questions or make officials available for interviews. Jane Lichter, head of the county’s school board, did not return a request for comment.

Individual schools have been sharing notice of the change with parents for the past several weeks.

A May 28 message to families at Cockeysville Middle School noted that they would be told over the summer and at back to school night in the fall how devices will be used in the coming school year, “which will be significantly different than in the past.”

A May 29 email from Dumbarton Middle School’s principal stated each middle school principal was asked to develop a plan for how to use devices in their schools.

High schoolers will see no changes in device usage, according to the school system’s Facebook post.

Questions circulating on social media include how the new device approach will impact inclement weather days and at-home assignments. Another commenter questioned whether this was influenced by the budget challenges currently plaguing the district.

For years, all students have had access to Chromebooks under the school system’s 1:1 student-to-device ratio policy. A page on Lansdowne Middle School‘s website highlights the expectation for students to bring their devices home and come to school with them fully charged.

The school system has leaned heavily on devices when it comes to reading.

Throughout the school year, Superintendent Myriam Rogers praised the improvements students made in literacy through Amira Learning, a new program that uses artificial intelligence to teach kids how to read. Parents would help their students use the program at home.

However, not every family owns a computer, or can provide one for their child to use.

Many school systems moved to giving every student a laptop when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. School buildings were closed, but students had to continue learning at home.

Baltimore County was ahead of the game.

The county’s students in first to 12th grades had access to a laptop in 2014. It was scaled back in 2019, providing one device for every five first and second graders, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The school system’s webpage on virtual instruction days notes that each student, starting in pre-K, had Chromebooks and PC laptops.

This past school year, Baltimore County added three days to its calendar that would count as inclement weather days. That means school buildings are closed, and learning is paused.

However, on the potential fourth day of bad weather, students are expected to learn virtually under a two-hour delay schedule.

The district used all three of its snow days this past school year and shifted to a virtual learning day in February.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.