Shawnee Mission School District officials have assembled a 32‑person work group to develop a policy on student use of artificial‑intelligence (AI) tools. The group, made up primarily of parents along with a handful of students, certified staff, classified staff, an administrator and two district employees, began meeting in September and will reconvene in mid‑November.
Why the district is acting now
Long‑time math teacher Jill Johnson of Indian Hills Middle School says she has seen students submit work that looks unlike anything taught in class – a sign, she believes, that they are using AI apps to solve problems. “They’d take a picture of a math problem and put it into an app that would tell them how to do it,” Johnson explained, noting the practice increased before a statewide cellphone ban took effect.
Superintendent Michael Schumacher told the July school board that no generative AI is installed on district‑issued devices, yet students have still found ways to access the technology. The district currently lacks a formal student‑use policy for AI, prompting the formation of the work group.
Work group composition and process
Chief Communications Officer Jake Potter said members were selected randomly to ensure representation across the five high‑school feeder patterns. The group has met twice in September and twice in October, with a final session planned for November after the Kansas State Board of Education finalizes its own AI guidance.
While the work group’s meetings have not been open to the public, its recommendations will inform any district‑wide policy the board adopts.
Community concerns and expert input
Parent Laura Langdon, who is not a work‑group member, cautioned that the district should require independent research proving AI benefits critical‑thinking development before allowing its use. She likened unrestricted AI to “giving cigarettes to children,” noting existing research suggests AI can hinder cognition.
Jessica Mercer Young, a principal research scientist with the Chicago‑based Education Development Center, agreed that improper AI use can impair learning. She emphasized that when AI tools are mediated by a teacher and include built‑in guardrails, they can support student outcomes, but research on younger learners remains limited.
State context
The Kansas Department of Education is also drafting policy on instructional technology, including AI. The draft, presented to the state board on Oct. 13, requires districts to address both educator and student use of AI but does not prescribe specific implementation details. Shawnee Mission officials say they will wait for the state’s final guidance before finalizing their own rules.
As the district works toward a policy, parents, educators and researchers alike will be watching to see whether the outcome leans toward a ban, a controlled‑use framework, or a more permissive approach.
Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.
