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Board adopts OCPS AI and electronic‑resources policy, pledges future updates to meet state rules
Summary
The board approved a district policy on appropriate use of electronic resources and AI, with members warning it will require updates to conform to forthcoming state rulemaking and asking staff to add grade‑level guidance, training and parent notifications.
The Orange County School Board approved a policy on appropriate use of electronic resources and artificial intelligence on July 28, while several members and public commenters urged additional guardrails and an opt‑out mechanism for families.
Public commenter Stefano Farrell said the district should be deliberate about how AI is introduced in classrooms, asking whether open‑source or unvetted commercial models would be blocked and requesting parental opt‑out options and grade‑level guidance. "Good policies are supported by good guardrails," Farrell said. Steven Holzman asked the board to include diverse voices on an advisory council — including students, teachers and independent experts — to guide implementation.
Board members emphasized procurement controls and student privacy. Mr. Palmerini told the board the state board of education has proposed rules on AI that could require changes; he recommended approving a local policy to ensure guidance is in place for the first day of school while preserving the board’s ability to amend the policy to comply with future state requirements. Vice Chair Salamanca said open‑source and unvetted models will not be permitted on the OCPS network and that procurement will include assurances that vendor models do not train on student or employee data. Member Banos announced she would vote against the policy because it lacked a parental opt‑out for instructional AI; other members said they would revisit that question if required by state rulemaking.
The board voted to adopt the policy as presented so the district has a framework in place for the new school year; staff said they will return with required technical edits to align language with any state rulemaking and to add clarified grade‑level guidance and training materials for educators and families.
