The Washoe County School District affirms a commitment to the responsible, ethical, and effective use of Artificial intelligence to strengthen teaching, learning, and district operations. The district frames Artificial intelligence as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for educators and aligns its approach with the Nevada Department of Education´s STELLAR initiative while anticipating statewide guidance under Senate Bill 199. Governance priorities include academic integrity, equity, efficiency, and data protection, and the district has formed an advisory committee of leaders, operational employees, administrators, and teachers to guide policy and implementation.
WCSD sets three core guardrails that apply to all staff and students. First, protect student and staff confidentiality by prohibiting entry of personally identifiable information into public Artificial intelligence tools to remain compliant with FERPA. Second, use Artificial intelligence purposefully and transparently, ensuring that staff and students acknowledge when Artificial intelligence contributes to their work. Third, always keep a human in the loop: all Artificial intelligence–generated content must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a human expert to preserve professional judgment and standards. To help users balance human effort and Artificial intelligence assistance, the district presents a human agency scale with four levels: fully human, human-led with Artificial intelligence support, Artificial intelligence–led with human review, and fully Artificial intelligence. The latter level is explicitly not allowed because it violates integrity policies.
The district describes specific uses and supports for teachers, staff, students, and families. For staff, Artificial intelligence can streamline tasks such as differentiation, data analysis, and image generation, and WCSD will offer professional learning opportunities to ensure ethical and effective use. For students, the district encourages engagement with Artificial intelligence as a collaborative partner to amplify creativity while emphasizing ethical decision-making and sound judgment over mere technical skills. WCSD also lists resources including the Nevada Department of Education ethics statement and external videos from CBS News and Common Sense Education to help families and educators learn more. The overall aim is to prepare students for an Artificial intelligence–transformed world while building trust with the community through clear rules and training.
