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Shawnee Mission board agrees to develop districtwide instructional technology policy; administration to draft AI guidance
Summary
After an extended debate, the Shawnee Mission School District board directed the superintendent to have district leadership and an emerging-tech action team draft a broad instructional-technology policy that will include AI guidance; administration said no generative AI will be accessible on district devices or networks.
The Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education directed district leaders to draft a new instructional-technology policy that would set board-level values, a regular reporting cadence and guardrails for classroom device use.
The move followed an extended July board discussion in which Superintendent Dr. Schumacher framed the policy as an umbrella to articulate expectations without micromanaging classroom instruction. “There should be no noninstructional use of technology in the classroom,” Schumacher said, and he reiterated that “Shawnee Mission students do not have authorized access to generative AI on any district devices or on our networks.”
Board members who voiced concerns said the district needs clear guidance that balances instructional benefits with developmental appropriateness. David Westbrook urged local leadership and faster action, saying the district should not wait for higher‑level authorities: “I volunteer to join my colleagues … to get the good advice of our administration … let’s work through it, let’s get it done,” he said. Other trustees emphasized listening to teachers and students and building a long-term structure rather than one-off rules.
The board did not adopt an AI policy at the meeting. Instead it asked Superintendent Schumacher and his leadership team to draft a policy and to bring it to the policy review committee and the district’s tech action team (4.2) for input, including student and educator voices. Schumacher said the draft will draw on a district instructional-technology guidebook the leadership team is refining and on model policy language from the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Administration told the board it will continue operational steps this year — charging carts for elementary classrooms to reduce devices leaving campus, guidance for substitutes, and training for staff on a technology framework — while the policy is developed. Several trustees asked for a clear timeline and for regular reporting on implementation once the policy is in place.
Next steps: district leadership will draft the policy, the policy review committee will vet a first read, and the board expects the item to return for formal consideration ahead of further school-year reporting.
