Board hears AI briefing, agrees to an interim policy review and to form a task force

Trustee Ian McCain presented a condensed briefing on generative artificial intelligence at the March 23 Eastpointe Community Schools board meeting, describing core concepts, risks (including "hallucinations" or fabricated outputs), and the importance of human oversight in classroom and administrative uses.

McCain outlined recommended guardrails for district use, including authorized student use only when a teacher grants permission or when documented in a student's IEP, and prohibiting unauthorized uses during closed-book assessments. He recommended the board adopt an interim intradistrict policy that sets baseline expectations while a broader task force studies implementation.

The board discussed vendor choice, liability and how to preserve students' critical thinking skills. Superintendent Gibson and trustees stressed that the district should avoid endorsing any single commercial product immediately, and instead provide guardrails and professional development for staff. Trustees asked administration to review the two sample policies presented (including a Clark Hill model) and recommend an interim policy.

The board directed administration to convene an AI task force composed of students, teachers, administrators and a board representative (Trustee Ian McCain volunteered to serve as the board representative). Administration will return with a recommended interim policy and a timeline for the task force to report back in the coming year.

No formal adoption occurred at the meeting; the work will continue through committee channels and the board's strategic-plan mechanisms.