Milan Area Schools board reviews AI guidance emphasizing student privacy and choice

Assistant Superintendent Bookout presented three new artificial-intelligence guidance documents for staff, students and families and told the Milan Area Schools Board the documents are intended to protect student privacy and preserve academic integrity.

The documents, developed by a district AI task force, “emphasize the importance of protecting student privacy, academic integrity, using AI in responsible ways,” Bookout said, adding that the district’s philosophy is that “AI is a supplement, but it's never going to replace the relationships that are at the heart of teaching and learning.” She told the board the task force will continue meeting to develop professional development and to update guidance as technology evolves.

Why it matters: The guidance attempts to set boundaries for rapidly adopted classroom tools while preserving instructional flexibility. Bookout said the materials will be shared with families, staff and older students in the fall and that the task force remains active as AI tools change.

Board members broadly praised the work. Nasara Marais called the documents “very readable and very understandable” and welcomed the emphasis on student choice. Dr. Carrie Gutierrez asked a wording change in the student guide’s introduction to refer to AI as “it” rather than “they,” saying she wanted to avoid personifying the technology.

Board members also probed a provision that discourages copying and pasting AI outputs. One member said teachers and students sometimes use AI-enabled tools (examples given included systems used to build quizzes) and asked the district to clarify acceptable, legitimate uses. Bookout said the district previously removed AI from an allowed list and that action had disabled curriculum programs because AI is embedded in many tools; she also said school systems generate alerts for student searches and prompts and that staff can see “the things that you type in ChatGPT, we see all of those prompts.”

Bookout acknowledged the need for clarity on prohibited uses and said staff would refine the language to avoid unintentionally blocking legitimate instructional tools. She confirmed the district will provide professional development and age-appropriate student materials and invited board feedback ahead of the fall rollout.

The board took no vote on the guidance at the meeting; Bookout said work will continue and the documents will be brought forward as they are finalized.

Next steps: The district plans to share guidance materials with families and staff in the fall and to continue task-force work and staff training.