Columbus City Schools is still crafting an artificial intelligence policy for how students and teachers can use the emerging technology.
The six candidates running for three open seats on the district's school board disagree on how AI could be used in K-12 schools. In an election largely focused on the district's budget struggles, the issue presents another topic the next school board may have to make a decision on.
CCS Boardmember Sarah Ingles, who chairs the district's Policy and Governance Committee, told WOSU AI is still a major issue for the district as the technology is used more and more in K-12 education. Ingles said the board is still crafting a policy and may finalize one at a committee meeting scheduled for Dec. 8.
After that, Ingles said the policy may come before the full board for a vote in either late December or early 2026. That means the policy may be one of the first big decisions facing the three candidates who win positions on the board in November's election.
Patrick Katzenmeyer is the most critical of AI out of the six candidates. Katzenmeyer, a district parent and project manager at The Pizzuti Companies, said he has concerns over the technology's use in K-12 schools.
"When AI is at its best, it's killing people's jobs and making us lazier. At its worst, it's creating lies and fabrications," Katzenmeyer said.
Katzenmeyer said his employer tried AI, but had entirely removed it from its offices.
He said he would be very hesitant in how schools implement AI. He said AI is good to understand and if it's being taught, it is important to teach the pitfalls.
"It just seems like a dystopian future I don't want to be a part of," Katzenmeyer said.
Katzenmeyer said Ohio State University's plan for all students, starting with the newest crop of freshmen, to be AI fluent worries him. He said this could lead to an AI-dependent workforce.
Candidate Antoinette Miranda, a now-retired chair of Ohio State University's Department of Teaching and Learning, took a different stance.
"Listen, AI is here. So our kids have to become familiar with it," Miranda said.
Miranda said some students are experimentally being taught by AI. She said this wouldn't work in urban schools where she said students also need a mentor.
Miranda said at the same time, CCS needs to make sure students are competitive. To do this, she said CCS should introduce AI as a tool to use.
"I think we just need to be very careful. I don't want us to substitute AI for teaching. I think having that person really makes a difference," Miranda said.
Candidate Kimberley Mason, a former higher education partnership manager with the Ohio Bankers League, said AI has been a hot topic candidates have needed to address. Mason said CCS should consider introducing AI into the classroom and studying its outcomes.
"And you see how the student's language and conversation flows from a plagiarism standpoint to then you can go back and teach them how their conversation has grown because every learner is also different," Mason said.
Mason said visual learners can get added value by using AI as a resource to see how to disseminate information differently.
Mason said there will be challenges CCS needs to address to make sure that it's done correctly, not overused and making sure that is the best added tool.
"Once the internet dropped, we've seen it grow. You know, and at this particular point, it's not leaving, so we have to embrace it," Mason said. "But we have to make sure we embrace it effectively, correctively and making sure that we support our students and how they're learning and using information that is given by AI or any other type of technological resource."
Candidate Mounir Lynch said he concerned about the impacts AI has on public education, especially when it comes to students completing assignments. Lynch said he wants more to be done to detect when AI is being used by students.
But, Lynch largely agrees that AI should be taught at CCS.
"If we're going to have these products that our students are already using, we need to makes sure that they are using it the right way and it's not replacing their education," Lynch said.
Lynch also said there could be a curriculum to help students recognize writing, social media and other content that is generated by artificial intelligence.
Candidate Jermaine Kennedy said he connects AI usage to accessibility. He said CCS has a duty to ensure that students are equipped to work, develop, build and create in the future, whether or not that includes AI.
"I don't think we shy away from it. Certainly it has its place as a supplement, not as the main driver of education," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said if the district doesn't expose young people to new technologies, they risk getting left behind. He likened AI as a tool to the calculator.
"I'm sure math teachers did not appreciate calculators initially, right, because you're taking away a skill, you're not learning. But over time, like...calculators are part of the norm," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said there has to be guardrails around AI usage, but the district should lean into AI technology to make sure students are geared for success.
Candidate Janeece Keyes did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
