After the COVID-19 pandemic shifted instruction online, many schools and states moved toward a “laptop or tablet for every student” approach to help children participate remotely and complete assignments. Using federal pandemic funding, districts aimed to narrow the digital divide between students with internet-capable devices and those without. As schools return to in-person learning, some outlets report that districts are reevaluating whether universal device access is still the best or most cost-effective model. Instead of assuming every student needs a personal laptop, schools are exploring more targeted strategies, such as ensuring device availability for students who need them most, using shared or classroom-based technology, and reconsidering how learning activities rely on individual take-home devices. While both sources describe the same pandemic-era rationale for widespread devices—supporting student engagement and coursework during remote instruction—they note that the post-pandemic reality is prompting a reassessment of whether the same level of per-student hardware is necessary in day-to-day in-person classrooms.