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Spartanburg District 1 outlines staged AI policy and pilot, with parent consent central to plan
Summary
District staff proposed a staged AI rollout: if the board approves an AI policy in May, the district would pilot "Magic Student" in August 2026 with 10 AI lead teachers, require parental consent for participating students, provide teacher professional development, and revisit expansion in October'January; trustees pressed for parallel AI-free assignments and clear citation rules.
Erica Center, a district staff presenter, laid out a phased plan for artificial intelligence in Spartanburg County School District 1 if the board adopts an AI policy at its May meeting. "If second reading and policy is approved at the May board meeting," Center said, the district would "pilot Magic Student only in AI lead teachers classrooms" starting in August 2026, beginning with 10 AI lead teachers (one per school).
Center said the pilot would include mandatory parent consent letters for participating students, teacher professional development developed by district AI lead teachers, and a staged, "leveled" approach for middle and high school that would define when assignments are AI-free versus AI-permitted. She told trustees the timeline calls for an Empower conference and feedback session in October 2026 and further implementation discussions in November 2026 and January/February 2027.
Trustees asked how the district would handle classroom logistics when some parents opt their children out. One trustee asked, "How does a teacher handle that situation?" Center and other administrators said devising parallel AI-free assignments that have the same academic value will be part of the pilot and administrative-rule work. Dr. DJ Brown added that administrative rules could require a parallel assignment so "no student feels like they have to do this assignment because I can't do that."
Board members also raised academic-integrity and citation questions. Trustees discussed detection tools used in higher education and training teachers to evaluate students' work; Center and others indicated the administrative rule will include expectations about when citations are required and how to document AI use.
Board members referenced pending state legislation (House Bill 5253) discussed in the meeting; presenters checked its status and reported it remained in committee at the time of the session. Trustees asked staff to design family-engagement materials, including short recorded presentations for parents who cannot attend in-person sessions.
No formal vote was taken. The district recommended that the board consider AI policy language in May and then use the pilot to work out operational details such as parental consent, classroom differentiation, and citation expectations before any wider rollout.
