More students will have access to AI programs in Tucson Unified School District after the governing board approved a trio of policy revisions.
The policy revisions include expanding the AI definition to include agentic AI, allowing middle schoolers access to approved AI-enhanced platforms like CodeHS and Canva and addressing embedded AI in productivity suites, such as Google Gemini.
The decision came in a close 3-2 vote at Tuesday evening’s governing board meeting, with board members Val Romero and Sadie Shaw casting the dissenting votes.
“I do think our our district needs to have a policy, but personally, I would like our policy to be more prohibitive,” Shaw said. “I don't think AI has a place in our schools.”
Romero said that while he understands the benefits of some AI programs, he believes it could be used first on administrative tasks for efficiency rather than “forcing it all on our kids.”
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Board president Ravi Shah said there was a growing body of evidence that supported Shaw and Romero’s concerns, but that the district would be discussing policy revisions to overall technology limits in December or January.
“There's so much overuse of anything technology, let alone the AI,” he said. He told the board he thought it would be best to work with teachers and principals to find the best way to limit technology use while still meeting state requirements.
Without an updated policy, however, it would be a “free for all.”
“I think there's been a lot of thought, a lot of expertise put into this,” Shah said. “I'm happy with the policy revisions that we have tonight.”
Ravi Shah, Natalie Luna Rose and Jennifer Eckstrom voted in favor of the revised AI policy.
