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Lee's Summit R-VII recommends SchoolAI rollout for K–12 after pilots; third-year extension would return to board
Summary
District staff recommended a two-year SchoolAI contract (with a third-year option) after about 18 months of pilots and vendor comparisons; staff said the product meets PII/network standards and provides teacher oversight of student interactions; the committee required the board to approve any third-year extension.
Lee's Summit R-VII staff recommended adopting SchoolAI districtwide for student and teacher support after about a year and a half of pilots and vendor comparisons, the finance committee heard June 23.
Dr. Hutchinson, who presented the item, said SchoolAI rose to the top of several products the district evaluated because it met the district’s privacy and network standards, offered teacher oversight of student interactions and provided functionality for non-native speakers and speech-to-text needs. "This is the one that used anthropic as their… AI system language instead of using ChatGPT," Dr. Hutchinson said when describing vendor distinctions.
The nut graf: The committee heard that staff did not use a formal RFP for this purchase but conducted multi-product pilots and surveyed teachers; staff secured a price structure that allowed K–12 adoption within the initial budget and said a grant helped expand licensing to elementary grades.
Board members pressed whether the purchase had been piloted and how the district decided on a full rollout. Dr. Hutchinson said the district had used free and trial versions, solicited teacher feedback and evaluated three vendors that met PII/network standards: Magic School, SchoolTask and SchoolAI. "We sent surveys out to teachers … making sure that they met the standards for what we wanted for our students and that… transparency between student and teacher interaction was super important," Dr. Hutchinson said.
A separate question asked whether the contract’s optional third-year extension would require board approval. "That item would come back to the board for that third year that one year extension," a committee member said.
Staff emphasized safeguards: teachers can view all student interactions in the platform and the district selected a vendor that, staff said, offered tighter safeguards than some alternatives. The initial purchase was presented as two years with a board-return requirement if staff sought the optional third year.
Ending: The committee advanced the SchoolAI contract for board consideration, with staff noting that future extensions would return to the board and that teacher oversight and legal/privacy safeguards remain prerequisites for continued use.
