As hallways quiet for summer, school leaders finally have the breathing room to prepare for the next big shift: Artificial Intelligence. While AI offers immense potential for productivity and engagement, it also introduces risks regarding academic integrity, data privacy, and professional judgment. 

Summer is the ideal time to set clear expectations before the first bell rings in August. If districts wait for a crisis in the fall, decisions are often made reactively and inconsistently. While some existing policies may cover AI use, many were written before generative AI became as widely available and integrated into areas like academic integrity, student discipline, harassment, and acceptable use. Updating policies isn’t about starting from scratch; it’s about staying proactive and modernizing policies to fit the tools people are using today. Proactive policy work ensures: 

• Academic Integrity: Students understand when AI is a tool versus when it is cheating. 
• Staff Guidance: Educators know how to use AI to support their work while maintaining confidentiality and responsibility for inputs and outputs. 
• Data Security: Consistent rules and processes protect student and district data across all platforms. 

Given AI’s broad use and far-reaching impact, your AI policy should not exist as a standalone document. It should be integrated into the foundational “playbooks” your district already relies on, including employee handbooks and policies, student codes of conduct and policies, and acceptable use policies. 

To help education leaders stay ahead of the curve, Thompson & Horton is now offering specialized resources designed to minimize institutional risk for school districts: 

1. Policy Revisions: Tailored updates to existing district policies that incorporate essential AI-related language. 
2. AUP Addendum: An addition to your Acceptable Use Policy dealing with specific AI issues and rules. 

Ready to get your guardrails up? Click here for more information on purchasing these resources.