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Pacific Grove Unified board approves 2026—29 technology plan with AI guardrails and teacher training
Summary
The Pacific Grove Unified School District board on June 18 approved a three-year Educational Technology Plan that formalizes AI guidance, requires staff training and monitoring, and calls for quarterly progress reports to the board before a full fall rollout.
The Pacific Grove Unified School District Board of Education on June 18 approved the district's Educational Technology Plan for 2026—2029, a roadmap that the district says balances classroom innovation with new guardrails for artificial intelligence.
Director of educational technology Matthew Binder told trustees the plan is built around three core priorities: community-facing materials and messaging, teacher professional development using PLCs (professional learning communities), and technical safeguards for student safety and data privacy. "We plan to draft a press release and produce a one-page infographic so families can quickly understand what to expect," Binder said during the presentation.
The plan spells out how AI will be handled in classrooms: student use of AI tools will be limited and teacher-permitted (the plan reserves broader classroom AI activities for high school when a teacher authorizes use), while staff access to certain models will be restricted. Binder said the district is currently "using Gemini exclusively within our environment for staff access only," and staff will evaluate other curriculum products that integrate AI before purchase. The plan also describes monitoring tools the district will use to flag anomalous patterns of device or network use and, where appropriate, block access to nonacademic sites.
Trustees pressed staff on implementation detail and oversight. Binder outlined multiple training paths: site-level work through PLC cycles, coordinated required start-of-year training and a March 15 professional-development day where district trainers will present on AI considerations. He said the district will also provide ongoing, in-person and interactive training rather than a one-off event. On monitoring, Binder said analytics will feed site conversations and that the district can block or limit access when reports show inappropriate patterns of use.
Board members asked for transparency and regular updates. Trustee Shamas asked that the board be kept informed when implementation affects the budget; Binder and Superintendent Adamson agreed to include the plan in budget discussions and to provide quarterly progress reports to the board. Trustee Otmar suggested publicizing early teacher successes with AI projects so families could see real classroom applications.
After discussion, Trustee Otmar moved to approve the Educational Technology Plan; Trustee Wax seconded the motion, and the board approved it by voice vote. The district plans a fall launch with initial communications, site rollouts, and a sequence of trainings and quarterly reporting to the board.
What happened next: the board recorded the motion as approved and directed staff to return with implementation updates, including potential budget implications and a schedule of reports.
