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School District 5 outlines plan to expand use of Magic School AI; staff cite privacy safeguards, estimate $90,000 annual cost
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Ross and staff described how Magic School AI could help teachers create differentiated materials, called for voluntary implementation and training, and reported an initial district quote of about $90,000 a year for full access.
Superintendent Dr. Ross told the School District 5 board on March 10 that the district is exploring expanded use of Magic School AI to help teachers generate differentiated instructional materials and support classroom planning.
Dr. Ross said the district already has teachers using a free version and that administrators will visit Horry County to review that district’s implementation. "We are going to clinic, with Horry County," he said, adding the goal is to align any deployment with the district vision.
Jenny Garris, director of technology, described the district’s vetting. "They do not collect any personally identifiable information," Garris said, and she noted Magic School AI processes data within the United States, does not sell district data, and is compliant with FERPA and COPPA. She said the vendor will delete PII if users mistakenly upload it and maintains breach protocols.
Board members asked for concrete examples. Board member Mr. Scully requested samples that show how the tool would generate leveled materials for students at different reading levels; Miss McCaskill said she expects Horry County to bring practical examples and demonstrations. "We already have and are using the Magic School AI within our district," she said, noting the district currently uses the free version and that the paid version would allow saving and sharing created work as district intellectual property.
Miss Tucker, the district chief financial officer, told the board the initial vendor quote for full access is about $90,000 a year. She described the purchase as a new recurring budget line item and said the district would evaluate whether additional plug-ins are needed after the Horry County visit. The board discussed pilot training for instructional staff and the need for clear ethical guardrails and professional development so adults can validate AI-generated content.
Board members emphasized the tool should be an instructional supplement, not a replacement for teachers. Dr. Ross stressed that teachers remain the instructional lead: "The lead is the teacher."
The district will proceed with further study and a site visit to Horry County and return to the board with demonstrations and more detailed budget recommendations.
