Hillsborough schools outline phased plan for classroom AI; staff to draft standalone policy for March workshop
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Summary
District staff presented a multi‑phase plan to introduce artificial intelligence tools for teachers and students, announced pilots at several schools, and the board directed staff to bring a standalone AI policy to the March 4 workshop.
Hillsborough County Public Schools staff outlined a districtwide, phased approach to using artificial intelligence in classrooms and professional work on Jan. 21, and board members directed staff to present a draft standalone AI policy at a March 4 board workshop.
The presentation, led by Colleen Fawcett, chief academic officer and leader of the district's AI governance team, explained the district's "go slow to go fast" strategy for AI implementation, described early pilots and coursework, and detailed professional‑learning phases for teachers and administrators.
The plan centers on six guiding principles Fawcett said were developed after reviewing federal and state guidance and district stakeholder feedback: human‑centric use, equitable access, ethical use (including transparency and academic integrity), innovation and collaboration, professional learning, and future‑ready skills. "By being delivered in learning and implementation, we can avoid pitfalls and maximize the benefits of AI for students and staff," Fawcett said.
Presenters named products already in limited use and described data protections. Christopher (Chris) Holt, supervisor in professional learning, said Microsoft Copilot is embedded in the district web browser for teacher use and “fits under the umbrella of our enterprise data protection,” meaning prompts entered by teachers are covered by the district’s Microsoft contract and are not retained to train that model. Holt described other tools as "prompt libraries"—Conmigo for Canvas and Magic School—that provide teachers with prewritten prompts and workflow support.
Chris Jargo, director for career and technical education, described curriculum work and pilots. Jefferson High School piloted the first AI courses last year; this school year Freedom High School and Stewart (listed in support materials) are offering AI coursework and King High School is piloting Conmigo integration. Jargo said the state adopted new computer‑science standards in summer 2024 that include AI topics and go into effect for the 2025–26 school year.
Staff reviewed professional‑learning phases: an introductory May module on generative AI and prompting, a summer kickoff conference with four learning pathways (AI literacy, productivity, curriculum unpacking, and administrative leadership), and deeper, role‑specific training thereafter. Holt said the district plans districtwide rollout of these trainings in 2025.
Board members raised questions about parent communication, student code of conduct language, academic‑integrity protocols and funding. Member Gray asked how parents would be informed and whether current student conduct and academic integrity language addresses AI; staff acknowledged the student code of conduct does not specifically mention AI and said recommendations to revise the code will come back to the board. Fawcett said the governance team will engage teachers and principals to develop communication toolkits tailored by school and grade band.
On funding, staff noted House Bill 1361 was discussed in the presentation as enabling certain statewide funding streams but that some supports are being administered through the University of Florida Lastinger Center and subject to RFP and procurement timelines. Fawcett said the district’s grant office is pursuing eligible opportunities and that stipends for teachers attending professional learning are typically paid from Title II federal funds.
Several board members urged broader stakeholder representation on the AI governance team. Member Combs asked that the team add a parent, a community technology representative and student leaders in addition to the district staff and the single currently‑listed student. Fawcett said the governance team has focused on learning through the fall and will expand stakeholder engagement as it develops local protocols.
The board closed the workshop by asking staff to draft a standalone AI policy and present it at the March 4 policy workshop. Chair Vaughn and other members agreed the policy should be broad, grounded in the six guiding principles, and circulated to board members for review before the workshop.
Ending note: district staff emphasized the work is iterative—policy and implementation will evolve as the technology and state guidance change—and committed to returning with policy language, pilot results and training timelines for board review.
