Purpose

Use AI to support teaching, learning, and operations while protecting students, staff, and families; complying with laws; and maintaining community trust.

Scope & Definitions

• AI tools: Software that generates content or insights or automates tasks using machine learning.
• Generative AI (GenAI): Produces text, images, code, or analyses.
• Public AI: Open web tools (e.g., public chat sites).
• Enterprise/approved AI: IT-vetted tools with security, logging, and admin controls.

Data Classification — “Traffic Light”

When in doubt, treat data as Red.

• Green (Allowed):Public or de-identified info
  • Example: generic lesson ideas, public standards, de-identified scenarios, district policies already published.
• Amber (Conditional):Internal, non-sensitive info in approved tools only
  • Example: anonymized class trends, scrubbed meeting notes, process docs without names or IDs.
• Red (Prohibited in AI unless written approval & enterprise controls):
  • Student PII (names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, IDs, photos tied to identity).
  • Grades, test scores, discipline records, IEP/504 information, health or counseling data (FERPA/IDEA/Section 504).
  • Staff HR records, SSNs, payroll/banking data.
  • Security credentials, network diagrams, access codes.
  • Attorney-client privileged or litigation-related information.

Never paste Red data into public AI tools.

Approved Tools & Access

• Staff may use only AI tools on the Approved AI Tools List maintained by District IT.
• Access must use district accounts (SSO/MFA where available).
• Do not use personal AI accounts for official school work or with student data.

Acceptable Use

Examples of appropriate use of AI (with human review):

• Drafting: lesson outlines, rubrics, parent letters, newsletters, procedures, job aids.
• Instructional support: generating practice questions, writing prompts, examples (reviewed by the teacher).
• Operational support: summarizing policies, meeting notes, or public reports; drafting checklists and workflows.
• Data support: organizing non-identifiable data, suggesting visualizations (verification required).

Prohibited Use

AI must not be used to:

• Make final decisions about grades, student placement, discipline, special education, or hiring without human review and documented professional judgment.
• Enter Red data into any AI tool that is not explicitly approved for that data type.
• Bypass district security controls or export AI logs/outputs to personal devices or accounts.
• Generate content that is biased, harassing, discriminatory, misleading, or otherwise violates law or district policy.

Human Oversight (“Human-in-the-Loop”)

• Staff remain responsible for all AI-assisted work.
• Verify facts, dates, citations, and any numbers before use.
• Teachers must review AI-generated materials for age appropriateness, accuracy, and alignment with curriculum and district values.
• Communications to parents, the public, or the Board that involve AI must be reviewed by the sender and, when appropriate, a supervisor.

Student Use of AI

• Student use of AI must follow the district’s Student Acceptable Use Policy and any classroom guidelines set by the teacher and principal.
• AI may not be used to cheat, plagiarize, or misrepresent academic work.
• Teachers must explicitly communicate when and how AI may be used on assignments and how to cite such use.

Records, Privacy, and Compliance

• AI-generated content used for official district business is subject to public records and retention laws and to student privacy laws (e.g., FERPA).
• Use only tools that support appropriate retention, export, and access controls.
• Do not store or process student Red data in systems that are not covered by a signed data-privacy or vendor agreement.

Procurement & Vendor Requirements (for AI-enabled Products)

Before adopting AI-enabled tools or features, the district must ensure:

• Student and staff data is not used to train public models without explicit written consent from the district.
• Data ownership, security (encryption, breach notification), and audit rights are defined in contract.
• Vendors disclose sub-processors and data locations and provide admin controls for logging, access, and retention.
• Tools comply with applicable privacy and accessibility requirements.

Training & Incident Reporting

• Staff will receive periodic training on safe AI use, data classification, student privacy, and academic integrity.
• Suspected data exposure, misuse of AI, or harmful outputs must be reported immediately to the building principal and District IT (following existing incident reporting procedures).

Governance & Changes

• New AI use cases or tools must be reviewed and approved by District IT and district leadership before use.
• This policy will be reviewed at least annually and updated as laws, technologies, and best practices evolve.