Argyle ISD wants more pencil to paper, less technology in classrooms – Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound
Publish Date: 2026-05-22 14:22:00
Source Domain: www.crosstimbersgazette.com
Argyle ISD wants to get back to the basics, offering students a learning experience that doesn’t rely so much on technology, especially for younger students.
During the district’s regular board meeting on Monday, Superintendent Courtney Carpenter explained the Hands-On, Minds-On plan, which outlines the district’s plans for a less technology-based curriculum for the 2026-2027 school year.
“You’re going to see, as parents and as students, a lot more pen and pencil to paper,” she said.
It’s a part of the district’s Collaborative Vision Plan, which will go into its second year for the upcoming school year.
“As we continue to implement our 5-year Collaborative Vision, we remain committed to ensuring that technology supports learning rather than replacing high-impact instructional practices,” said the district in a presentation.
At the end of the 2025-2026 school year, the district had already disabled Youtube and Wikipedia, as well as developed processes for reporting inappropriate websites.
It also started enforcing guidelines to reduce student screen time and access to other technology.
Next year, Carpenter said students in grades eight and below will not have take-home laptops, rather they will be distributed via a cart on campus.
“It’s very similar to how our elementary [campuses] already operate, so it won’t be a one-to-one device checkout,” she said.
Since middle schoolers will no longer have a device to take home, there will be no technology-based homework for students until they reach ninth grade.
In addition, the district is aiming to reduce screen time in the classroom even more, across all grade levels.
According to Carpenter, the team in charge of the plan has started collecting and creating physical learning materials, like workbooks, for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade.
Other hands-on materials include expanded science consumable and non-consumable lab materials for Kindergarteners through eighth-grade…
