Board accepts handbook updates adding AI academic‑integrity language, cellphone rules and concurrent‑enrollment deadlines

The Pleasant Valley board accepted proposed updates to student and parent handbooks at all grade levels that add academic‑integrity language addressing artificial intelligence, revise device/cellphone expectations to align with new state law, and add a deadline for students switching modalities in concurrent enrollment classes.

Elementary changes: Mrs. Dyer, a district staff member, said elementary handbook edits are largely grammatical and programmatic (wellness and counseling language) and that staff removed instructions about charging district Chromebooks at home because those devices remain at school over the summer. On AI, the district adapted junior high language to create a developmentally appropriate elementary academic‑integrity rule.

AI and academic integrity: the junior high and high school handbooks add a clause that reads in substance that "using artificial intelligence to complete all or part of an assignment without teacher permission, failing to disclose its use or otherwise misrepresenting AI‑generated content" will be a violation of academic integrity. District staff said the language was developed by an internal AI committee and is intended to make expectations explicit rather than ban technology outright.

Cellphone and device rules: handbook language varies by level. The junior high will require students to keep cellphones in lockers at all times; the high school will continue teacher‑managed in‑class collection/parking strategies and emphasize notification settings and limitations; the elementary practice remains phones in book bags and staff said they will wait for state guidance before additional changes. Staff noted the law also outlines exemptions (for medical monitoring devices) and an appeals/exemption process; administrators said accommodations will be made as appropriate.

Concurrent enrollment: the high school handbook adds a deadline for students to add or change modality for Scott/EICC college classes: changes must be submitted one week prior to the college course start or the high school's start date for the semester, whichever comes first. Staff said the rule is intended to limit last‑minute drops that create staffing and invoicing issues (district pays concurrent‑enrollment tuition under state Senior Year Plus statutes).

Board action: the board voted to accept the proposed handbook updates as presented and instructed staff to finalize references (for example, updating technology contact names) and return any state guidance on cell‑phone enforcement.