Artificial Intelligence Guidelines in Classrooms

Youth leaders first raised the need for AI guidelines during public comment at the March 25, 2026 school-committee meeting, citing the absence of student input in prior policy development and calling for professional development on ethical use.

At the May 6, 2026 meeting the district presented a draft AI policy framework developed after community engagement; the presentation responded directly to the earlier youth testimony by outlining human-centric principles, data privacy protections, and bias mitigation.

Board members and additional youth speakers at the May meeting then voiced specific objections to the draft, linking AI use by teachers for grading and assignment creation to risks of lost human connection, compromised academic integrity, and faulty detector outcomes.

These objections prompted the administration to clarify that the policy would function only as guard rails while separate guidelines would supply best practices, establishing a two-track refinement process over the summer.

The same speakers also tied increased screen time to mental-health harms and proposed creation of a standing Technology Advisory Committee to oversee future tech policies.

The draft therefore advanced from initial youth advocacy through formal presentation and public critique, leaving the final policy language and any device-usage provisions still subject to open feedback through the end of May.