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Whitehall‑Coplay board reviews first reading of AI policy, updates attendance and event rules
Summary
At the May 11 committee meetings the board received a first reading of Policy 815.1 (use of generative AI in education) and considered multiple policy updates including charter‑transportation language, weapons discipline discretion, a threat assessment protocol and a new clear‑bag policy for events.
The Whitehall‑Coplay School District presented a packet of policy reviews at committee on May 11 that included a first reading of a draft policy governing the district’s use of generative artificial intelligence and a set of revisions to existing policies on charter‑school transportation, weapons discipline, threat assessment procedures and public attendance at events.
Administration said the draft Policy 815.1 was developed primarily from PSBA model language, guidance from a regional technology council and examples from neighboring districts. The draft clarifies delegation of responsibilities, includes definitions and sets guidance on authorization, privacy and acceptable use. The presentation emphasized that, under the current draft, district‑sanctioned AI access is limited to staff (the district currently uses Gemini via Google Workspace) and that “AI tools can help us, they cannot be the final deciding factors” in educational decisions, an administration representative said.
Other policy updates on the education committee agenda included:
- Policy 140 (charter schools): added language clarifying that transportation provided to charter‑school students need not be identical to transportation for traditional public‑school students. - Policy 218.1 (weapons): a proposed addition would allow the superintendent or a designee discretion to treat clearly nonlethal or toy‑replica objects differently than a mandatory one‑year expulsion in narrowly defined circumstances. - Policy 236.1 (threat assessment): added a section to coordinate threat‑assessment review protocols with law enforcement and scheduled time for review. - Policy 325 (employee dress and grooming): added nondiscrimination language to explicitly protect protective hairstyles (locks, braids, twists, coils, bantu knots, afros and extensions) and religious head coverings. - Policy 904 (public attendance at school events): combined a previous attachment into the policy, added clear‑bag guidance (clear PVC bags not to exceed 12 x 6 x 12; small clutches 6 x 9 allowed; medically necessary and participant bags exempt) and a prohibition on outside food and beverages except for medical necessity.
The administration said the AI policy will return for a second reading and possible adoption at the May 18 board meeting. Board members and several public commenters asked for continued review and monitoring of the policy to ensure FERPA and other student‑privacy requirements are respected and to confirm whether future student access to AI tools would require separate board action.
What’s next: Policy 815.1 will be presented for a second reading and possible adoption at the board’s May 18 meeting; several other policy updates will return with recommended language for board action.
