District outlines AI policy, device rollout and cybersecurity upgrades

The Chambersburg Area School District heard a technology presentation from Director of Technology Christine Wagamuth, network administrator Dave Kirkpatrick and digital learning specialist Jonathan Michael covering the district's AI policy, device rollouts, data-management systems and recent cybersecurity and network upgrades.

Wagamuth said the district has developed an AI policy and a related approval process, formed an AI task force and is using a "red light" method to guide classroom and administrative use: a clearly labeled approach that tells staff when AI tools are allowed, when use should be slowed and when AI is prohibited. She said the policy is intended to promote academic integrity and protect student data; the presentation noted the district adopted an AI policy last September and that the administration is vetting commercial software for privacy and security before classroom use.

The presentation emphasized four technology goals tied to the district's Schools of Distinction initiative: expand instructional access, strengthen data quality, innovate with new instructional tools (including AI and STEM resources) and ensure universal connectivity with robust cybersecurity. Wagamuth said the district will distribute Chromebooks for grades K'8 next school year and continues to support iPad use, and she described the district's device inventory as having grown by about 19,000 since 2020.

On data systems, staff said the district uses SAFIRE as its database of record, relies on Clever/OneRoster for rostering, uses Sapphire for data aggregation and is exploring tighter integration with a secondary learning-management system (Schoology or Google Classroom) to provide classroom-level dashboards and single sign-on for teachers. Staff described data-quality goals (validity, completeness and timeliness) and noted data informs reimbursement, special-education funding, e-rate filings and capital planning decisions.

On AI specifically, presenters described promising classroom uses such as personalized practice, accessibility supports (text-to-speech, translation), 24/7 tutoring-style tools that prompt student thinking rather than supply answers, and teacher tools for drafting communications and lesson ideas. The presenters said vendor tools that incorporate AI will be reviewed through the district's approval process before being allowed in classrooms.

Dave Kirkpatrick outlined recent infrastructure and security work. The district upgraded core Internet capacity and building connections from 1 gigabit to 10 gigabits to reduce downtime and support remote learning. Critical systems and applications now require multifactor authentication; the district uses SentinelOne endpoint protection with 24/7 monitoring; and staff conduct cybersecurity training campaigns organized by Diana Dittmar in the technology department.

Kirkpatrick said the district has scheduled an external vulnerability and penetration assessment with a National Guard cybersecurity team (based at Fort Indiantown Gap). That team will perform on-site testing and is scheduled to visit in October, staff said.

Board members asked how classroom successes are shared; Jonathan Michael described school-level innovation teams and administrator collaboration to surface effective practices and replicate them elsewhere. On professional development and software selection, Wagamuth said buildings or departments submit service requests or demos; the technology team evaluates rostering, training materials and other operational criteria before adoption.

Board members also raised concerns about student screen time and how the district measures device use. Staff said the district can track device and app usage through GoGuardian and Google admin tools, and that tracking informed a decision to keep some Chromebooks at school after administrators found home use was often limited to YouTube rather than instructional platforms. Wagamuth and Kirkpatrick cautioned that usage logs do not prove whether a student is actively engaged (for example, a device could be open but not in use), and the district does not currently have a precise per-student "screen time" metric for instructional exposure.

Presenters said GoGuardian monitoring has been extended to secondary devices and will be added to iPads as vendor support now permits. Staff also noted that many vendors now add AI features and that the district will re-vet roster and privacy connections as vendors introduce new capabilities.

The public comment period included a parent, Aaron Atherton, who asked whether devices can be sent home for students who participate in extracurriculars that limit time during school; school staff said they would follow up directly with the parent.

The presentation concluded with staff outlining next steps: continued vetting of AI-enabled products, rollout of Chromebooks for K'8 next year, the scheduled National Guard vulnerability assessment in October, and continued development of unified data dashboards to support instruction.