Article on COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) - As Co...

Columbus City Schools is bringing AI-enabled tools and services into classrooms this fall, with a formal AI policy in place before Ohio's 2026 deadline. The district's Chief Information Officer, Christopher Lockhart, said the move was inevitable. "AI is already all around us, so our question as an educational institution is how do we provide our students with that proper guidance to again keep them safe," Lockhart said. The Ohio Department of Education requires all public-school districts, community schools, and STEM schools to adopt a formal AI policy by July 1, 2026. CCS began working on its policy before the state mandate, drawing from the state's model policy.

How the AI tools will be used

Lockhart said the AI services will be used in a safe, ethical, and human-led way to enhance student education. "Obviously, we want students to learn and actually do their work," Lockhart said. "We're a learning institution. So, we can't just turn their assignments over to AI and turn in what AI has produced." Staff can only use applications from an approved list, and the amount of AI use will vary from classroom to classroom. Lockhart said the district fully trusts teachers to use the software responsibly. Teachers looking for structured training on classroom AI can explore an AI Learning Path for Teachers. Student privacy and data will be protected through the software and through a contract with the software provider, Lockhart said.

Parent and student concerns

Not all parents are convinced. Anna Murphy, whose daughter is in preschool, said she worries about how AI might affect learning by the time her daughter reaches CCS classrooms. "Even now with a Google search or something, when you go on there, the first result you get for anything that you do, and a lot of times it's wrong," Murphy said. "I think it's like kind of stifling creativity or like that curiosity to go out and find out about things for yourself." Kelly Hao, a graduate student in medical school at Ohio State University, said she uses AI all the time but can't imagine having had access to it in elementary or middle school. "I do think it needs to be approached really cautiously because if students fail to develop those skills because they rely on AI to problem solve for them, then it certainly is a little concerning," Hao said. Lockhart said he's heard concerns from staff and parents but said AI is everywhere and isn't going away anytime soon.

Other districts

Delaware City Schools has an AI policy that includes an AI Tool Adoption Rubric for approved services. Hilliard City Schools also has a policy, though it does not list the service provider for allowed tools. As more districts formalize their approaches, AI for Education resources track these policy shifts.

Why this matters for education professionals

Ohio's 2026 deadline is closer than it seems. Districts that haven't started their AI policies yet can learn from CCS's approach. The key elements include an approved tool list, a data contract with the software provider, and teacher discretion over classroom use.