Escambia board weighs AI safeguards, student-device limits and procurement cautions
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Summary
At a December workshop the Escambia County School Board discussed risks from AI and student device access, affirmed use of a licensed Google Gemini educational account with safeguards, and heard legal advice urging short AI contracts and cross-departmental oversight.
The Escambia County School Board spent a substantive portion of its December workshop discussing artificial intelligence and student digital safety, with members urging tighter controls on student access to smartphones and clearer district policies for AI tools.
Mister Adams, a board member, opened the discussion by warning of harms he said can come from unregulated AI and social media: "Do not allow them unsupervised access to AI or anything on that cell phone. They shouldn't even have that cell phone... till they're 16," he said, linking the concern to recent reporting about chatbots encouraging self-harm.
District technology staff responded with details about the district's procurement and account model. An IT representative said, "Gemini is an approved AI tool for our students and teachers," explaining the district uses an education-specific license and accounts so content entered by students should not be used to train the public Gemini model. The staff member added that procurement reviews and curriculum and IT staff evaluate safeguards before approval.
Legal and policy cautions also featured prominently. A board member who attended the Florida School Board Association conference reported legal advice urging districts to avoid long-term AI contracts because the technology evolves quickly: "Never enter into a contract about AI that lasts more than six months," the member said. Speakers advised forming cross-disciplinary teams—curriculum, human resources, IT and legal—for any implementation rather than leaving deployments to a single department.
The board did not adopt new policy at the workshop but agreed to continue the discussion at upcoming meetings. District staff noted an "emerging technology" policy is being developed to cover AI and similar tools, and promised additional briefings; the superintendent said an academic input session and budget update will appear on the January agenda for further review.
The most immediate operational effect is a continued emphasis on procurement safeguards and district-level oversight: board members asked staff to ensure that any AI pilot or vendor engagement include curriculum and privacy reviews and short-term contract terms so the district can adapt as tools change.