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Oxford Area SD outlines cautious plan to teach AI, pilot tools and add handbook scale
Summary
District technology director Sean Mellinger told the education committee the district is running teacher pilots, a high‑school AI committee and a district leadership group to build AI literacy, protect student data and create a 1–5 rubric for acceptable AI use in assignments; policy committee review is expected next.
Sean Mellinger, the district director of technology, told the Oxford Area School District education committee on April 21 that the district is taking a phased, cautious approach to classroom use of artificial intelligence.
Mellinger said the district has established three work streams — a district leadership vision team, teacher pilot groups and a high‑school AI committee of students and teachers — to test tools, collect feedback and shape policy. "We really want to shape a respectable guidance... so that we can teach our teachers, teach our students how to use AI responsibly," Mellinger said, urging that selected tools respect student data privacy and support instructional goals rather than replace them.
Why it matters: Committee members emphasized protecting critical thinking and equity while preparing students for workforce needs. Mellinger said pilots will inform professional development and curriculum alignment, and administrators plan to add a 1‑to‑5 scale in the high‑school handbook to indicate levels of permitted AI use for specific assignments.
Committee members asked about the committee makeup and grade‑level reach; Mellinger said building principals, teachers and administrators are involved and the pilot work includes elementary through high school. He recommended tying AI use to curriculum standards and teacher judgement rather than blanket bans. "We want teachers to use AI intentionally — fidelity over efficiency," he said.
Board members and teachers raised concerns that AI could short‑circuit students' development of primary‑source research and independent critical thinking. Mellinger and others compared the rollout to past technology adoptions, such as one‑to‑one devices, and emphasized professional development and a teacher‑led approach. The committee also heard that a Project Lead the Way 'Principles of AI' course is planned for the high school to teach both consumer and developer perspectives.
Next steps: Committee members asked that Mellinger's PowerPoint be shared with the full board and suggested the policy committee draft formal guidance. The education committee agreed to revisit AI at a future meeting and to forward recommended guardrails to the policy committee for consideration.
