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Board member reports from federal advocacy conference: AI training, funding concerns and mental-health screening bill
Summary
Board member Denise Jones attended a federal advocacy conference and briefed the board on sessions about AI education policy, federal funding pressures (including Title I reductions) and an Illinois mental-health screening bill; she said she secured meetings with congressional staff and invited federal representatives to visit the district.
Board member Denise Jones told colleagues Tuesday about her recent attendance at a federal advocacy conference where topics included artificial intelligence in schools, federal funding advocacy and mental-health initiatives. Jones said conference sessions addressed an emerging federal grant and guidance designed to help districts teach and manage AI in classrooms, with discussions about district-level AI policies and how to preserve student-critical-thinking skills while adopting new tools. She also briefed the board on federal funding priorities and advocacy messages to Congress, including the importance of IDEA and Title I funding; Jones said the district experienced a Title I funding reduction this year and that federal funding remains a concern. Jones described meeting members of Congress and staff, including Representative Sean Casten and Senator Tammy Duckworth, and said she invited congressional staff to visit the district. She also referenced an Illinois bill (identified in her remarks as SB 1560) that would provide mental-health screening beginning in 2027-28, and encouraged further engagement with lawmakers about mental-health resources for students. "I pushed myself to make sure Evergreen Park District 124 had a voice at the table," Jones said, describing her outreach in Washington. The board received the report; no action was taken.
