Moore County Schools to launch 70/30 reduced screen-time plan in classrooms

A new 70/30 classroom model in Moore County Schools will shift students from screens to hands-on learning, emphasizing traditional skills and reserving tech for value-added lessons.

The board discussed the back-to-basics initiative at the Aug. 24 retreat for active, primarily device-free learning 70% of the time. The plan includes screen-mediated instruction only 30% of the time.

Superintendent Jennifer Purvis said teachers will be coached on the new 70/30 plan the first semester and that it “should be in force the second semester.”

“Sometimes need a shocking thing,” Assistant Director of Technology Will Herring said about starting the conversation to reduce technological use in the classrooms.

Research shows that “learning is about struggling. Being frustrated,” Herring said about how students learn when they write notes, and that is why the district will begin teaching handwriting again.

Students will learn to write notes by hand and afterward, may use technology to organize their notes. The 70/30 plan facilitates handwriting and creating thoughtful summaries to teach students to synthesize information, not merely collect it from a screen.

The district will use software to track device-use hours and report findings.

Herring explained that tech is useful in teaching, for example, how tectonic plates shift via moving images, and for collecting data.

“The goal is to speak, write and read each day,” Herring said about helping students develop critical thinking skills.

Some teachers will need to learn how to teach without technology, and the district will provide them with coaches and tools for each discipline’s needs.

Purvis said that Crain’s Creek Middle School, Elise Middle School, and Southern Middle School devices stay at the schools, and mid-year, New Century Middle School will adopt the same policy in the move toward less tech.

Kindergarten through second-grade students have a one-to-two student sharing protocol for devices.

Herring said studies showed that students consuming low-quality data on screens was harmful, that overuse impacted sleep and mental well-being.

Exceptions to the 70/30 plan included students with IEPs and 405 programs and state-mandated electronic tests.

Aug. 24, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

Subscribe to Sandhills News and support this conservative journalism with advertising.

Submit news tips, events and interview requests to editor@sandhills.news.

Sandhills News is plain-English local government reporting that explains how decisions affect your land, taxes, schools and rights.