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School board hears AI ethics policy; staff to return with formal approval next month
Summary
District staff presented an ethical artificial-intelligence use policy developed by a teacher task force, listing approved tools and privacy safeguards. The board did not vote but directed staff to return next month with the policy for formal approval and with a plan to include parent/guardian signatures in student handbooks.
Show Low Unified School District staff presented a draft ethical-use policy for generative and other artificial intelligence during the board’s May regular meeting and told trustees they will bring the document back for approval next month.
The proposal, developed by an AI task force of teachers and administrators in partnership with the Arizona Department of Education and Khan Academy, lays out permitted tools, guidance for classroom use, and privacy safeguards. Assistant principal Clayton Winnett, who co-led the committee, said the policy’s purpose is to “improve our teaching and learning in the classroom” while ensuring fairness and student privacy.
The draft lists currently approved tools that district teachers reported using and that the committee vetted: ChatGPT, Conmigo, Magic School AI, Gemini, Diffid, and Canva. Winnett said the committee limited student access to vetted tools and aligned the policy with federal privacy and safety requirements. “We did consider plagiarism and things like that in our policy, and also privacy protections,” he said.
Superintendent Doctor Farnsworth told the board that, once adopted, the policy would be folded into each school’s student handbook and that district staff plan to require a signed acknowledgment from families: “Once the board officially approves it, this is something that we can insert into every student handbook…that will require signatures from every family and student.”
Board members pressed for parental access and opt-out protections. A trustee emphasized that parents “have the right to review instructional materials, surveys, and evaluations before they are administered” and noted the policy includes an opt‑out procedure.
The board did not take a formal vote on the policy at the meeting. Trustees were told the document will be publicly posted and returned as an action item next month so it can be adopted after the board’s review period and inserted into handbooks.
If approved, the policy will require teachers and students to use only district‑approved AI tools, follow the district’s academic integrity rules, and take precautions to protect student data consistent with federal rules cited in the draft.
Staff said the document is intended as a living policy that will be updated as tools and legal guidance evolve. Board members thanked the task force for its work and recommended continued transparency with families ahead of any final vote.
