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Anaheim Elementary outlines AI policy plans after Orange County grand jury recommendations
Summary
AESD staff told the board the district will develop an AI policy, add AI lessons for sixth graders and offer professional development for teachers in response to an Orange County grand jury inquiry. Trustees asked about cost, parent access and how training will be scheduled.
Alex Ramirez, director of digital education services, told the Anaheim Elementary School District board on Sept. 11 that the district has prepared a formal response to the Orange County grand jury's investigation into AI use in K— schools and will "develop an AI policy and/or guidelines" covering scope, guiding principles and training for users.
The response follows three findings and five recommendations from the grand jury that highlighted inconsistent AI policies across Orange County districts and uneven support and awareness among superintendents and staff. Ramirez said AESD has already added three 'Common Sense' AI lessons for sixth-grade digital citizenship and is drafting a message focused on AI basics, academic integrity, privacy and identification of suitable tools.
Board members pressed for cost estimates and whether professional development would require extra time or pay. Ramirez said subscribing to paid AI tools (for example, ChatGPT with a paid tier) would entail additional cost, but many platforms can be used without subscription; training cohorts will be offered outside the regular school day and could incur stipends for participating teachers. "This would be in an after‑school setting, which would indeed be a cost in terms of providing additional pay for teachers who wish to participate," he said.
Trustees also asked how families could see the materials. Ramirez said Common Sense resources are publicly available and the district can include links and parent presentations on its website. He emphasized that the district is starting with staff-focused PD alongside limited lessons for sixth graders rather than broad classroom rollouts for younger students, citing concerns about commercial platforms and student age limits.
The district did not present a final budget for AI implementation at the meeting; Ramirez said cost will vary by vendor and level of subscription and that the district will expand conversations in the coming months about policy adoption and rollout. No formal board action was required that evening; the presentation served as the district's response to the grand jury recommendations and the start of a policy development process.
