# 2026-07-20 > A Kenai school district bought an $8,300 AI tool for its classrooms, then started writing the rules to govern it. Published 2026-07-20 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-07-20/ ## The story AI is already in class. The rulebook is still in pencil. An $8,300 tool is on the desk. The policy is a draft. The tool is paid for. The rulebook is a draft. Kenai's district has spent $8,300 to date on a three year MagicSchool subscription for students and staff. The policy meant to govern it is still a draft. Two questions decide it. Student data is the hard boundary. Under the proposal, teachers could not feed student data into AI tools the district has not approved. Alaska's vetting rules require FERPA and COPPA, the federal student privacy laws. Write it in pencil, not ink. Alaska already has a playbook. Not whether. How. The deadline is fall. Kenai aims to have its AI rules in place by the start of the new school year. Its committee began this work in 2025, building on the state framework. ## What we verified - The Alaska DEED district guidance lays out a 6-step policy development process. [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document, n/a. - The DEED guidance urges a balanced, human-centered approach that augments human capabilities without replacing essential judgment or interaction. [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document, n/a. - The DEED vetting checklist explicitly mandates federal student-privacy compliance (FERPA and COPPA). [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document, n/a. - The DEED guidance cites that approximately 15% of students are aware of AI-generated explicit images depicting their classmates (a cited rationale for guardrails). [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document, n/a. - DEED recommends allowing at least 6-8 weeks for a meaningful AI pilot evaluation. [Alaska DEED](https://education.alaska.gov/artificial-intelligence/district), primary document, n/a. - The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is proposing comprehensive AI policies addressing academic honesty and student data protection. [KBBI/KDLL public radio](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - The Alaska DEED framework centers on seven guiding principles: human-centered design, fair access, transparency, oversight, security, ethical use, and cultural responsiveness. [EdTech Innovation Hub](https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/alaska-becomes-32nd-us-state-to-release-k-12-ai-education-framework), report, 2025-10. - Alaska districts named as engaged in AI-policy work include Fairbanks, Mat-Su, Wrangell, and Anchorage. [EdTech Innovation Hub](https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/alaska-becomes-32nd-us-state-to-release-k-12-ai-education-framework), report, 2025-10. - The district has spent $8,300 to date on a three-year MagicSchool subscription for students and staff (an education-specific AI platform). [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Under the proposal, teachers would be barred from feeding student data into AI platforms not approved by the district. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - The proposed academic-honesty change defines academic honesty, outlines how AI tools can be used responsibly, and sets consequences for inappropriate use like plagiarism. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - The district's AI-specific committee was established in 2025 and reviewed Alaska DEED guidelines in fall 2025. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - District administrators aim to implement the new AI policies by the beginning of the new school year. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Board member Mica VanBuskirk urged that teachers keep discretion over acceptable AI use case by case. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - VanBuskirk framed the urgency of getting AI rules right now. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Assistant Superintendent Kari Dendurent cautioned that overly strict parameters could limit needed flexibility as the policy evolves. [KBBI/KDLL](https://www.kbbi.org/2026-07-08/proposed-school-district-ai-policies-target-academic-honesty-student-privacy), report, 2026-07-08. - Alaska became the 32nd US state to release a K-12 AI education framework, titled 'Artificial Intelligence for K-12: Recommendations and Considerations for Districts.'. [EdTech Innovation Hub](https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/alaska-becomes-32nd-us-state-to-release-k-12-ai-education-framework), report, 2025-10. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.