Allentown board amends AI policy after debate over language on equitable access
July 26, 2025 | Allentown City SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Allentown School District’s policy committee unanimously moved an amended artificial-intelligence policy to the full board on July 24 after members debated whether to restore language referencing “equitable access.”
The committee’s draft of Policy 8.15.1, presented by Dr. Lourdes Savoy (staff member), was revised to add verification and oversight language and to clarify that “Generative AI tools shall not be the sole determining factor” in decisions related to student learning, assessment, academic integrity, or conduct.
The proposal also moved monitoring responsibilities to the district’s innovation task force and added that human decision‑makers must retain final authority over employee evaluations, promotions and hiring to ensure compliance with anti‑discrimination laws. Those procedural and compliance edits, Savoy said, were made so the district is “compliant with federal regulations.”
Board members debated the removal of two earlier instances of the phrase “equitable access” to generative AI. Board member Nick (Nikolov) and others argued that the wording is an important moral and policy symbol for students’ access to tools, while the policy chair said the phrase was removed to avoid triggering automated federal keyword scans. After discussion and motions on the floor, the committee voted to amend the draft to restore the two instances of “equitable access” and moved the revised policy forward to the regular board meeting.
Discussion only: committee members discussed the policy’s tradeoffs between symbolic language and perceived legal risk from federal automated review.
Direction/assignment: the committee directed staff to incorporate the restored phrasing in the draft and forward the revised policy to the regular board meeting for final consideration.
Formal action: the committee voted to move the amended Policy 8.15.1 to the full board; the chair recorded the motion as carried.
The committee also reviewed Policy 8.19 on suicide awareness, prevention and response; that policy’s revisions were presented separately and moved forward intact.
The board will consider Policy 8.15.1 at its next regular meeting with the committee’s amendments incorporated.
The committee’s draft of Policy 8.15.1, presented by Dr. Lourdes Savoy (staff member), was revised to add verification and oversight language and to clarify that “Generative AI tools shall not be the sole determining factor” in decisions related to student learning, assessment, academic integrity, or conduct.
The proposal also moved monitoring responsibilities to the district’s innovation task force and added that human decision‑makers must retain final authority over employee evaluations, promotions and hiring to ensure compliance with anti‑discrimination laws. Those procedural and compliance edits, Savoy said, were made so the district is “compliant with federal regulations.”
Board members debated the removal of two earlier instances of the phrase “equitable access” to generative AI. Board member Nick (Nikolov) and others argued that the wording is an important moral and policy symbol for students’ access to tools, while the policy chair said the phrase was removed to avoid triggering automated federal keyword scans. After discussion and motions on the floor, the committee voted to amend the draft to restore the two instances of “equitable access” and moved the revised policy forward to the regular board meeting.
Discussion only: committee members discussed the policy’s tradeoffs between symbolic language and perceived legal risk from federal automated review.
Direction/assignment: the committee directed staff to incorporate the restored phrasing in the draft and forward the revised policy to the regular board meeting for final consideration.
Formal action: the committee voted to move the amended Policy 8.15.1 to the full board; the chair recorded the motion as carried.
The committee also reviewed Policy 8.19 on suicide awareness, prevention and response; that policy’s revisions were presented separately and moved forward intact.
The board will consider Policy 8.15.1 at its next regular meeting with the committee’s amendments incorporated.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
