Policy panel leans toward guidelines rather than an outright AI ban

Members of the North Middlesex Regional School District policy subcommittee debated on May 19 how the district should treat artificial intelligence tools and whether to adopt a ban or a set of guidelines.

Brad (speaker 6) told the committee he and colleagues had done professional development and that some districts have moved toward outright bans, but that outright bans can be impractical. "There are districts out there that have outright, have completely banned AI, which is not possible because AI is being used whether you people realize it or not, with things such as Grammarly and SpellCheck," he said, arguing the district should educate staff and students and avoid setting students up "for failure" by cutting them off from tools they will encounter in college and careers.

Other members agreed that a detailed instructional guide would be useful but that such material is too long for a single policy document. One member suggested the district adopt a brief policy statement that references a separate, living set of guidelines — possibly adapted from Boston Public Schools — and require schools to follow those guidelines. The committee asked the superintendent's office to monitor Boston's June guidance and to share any draft language the district could adapt.

The subcommittee did not adopt a final policy or specific restrictions. Instead members asked administration to prepare a short policy framework that points to guidelines for responsible use, transparency and staff/student education; they also agreed the policy should cover staff use as well as student use.

Next step: administration will monitor Boston Public Schools' guidance and circulate possible language for the subcommittee to review.