The Frederick County Board of Education voted 6-1 on Oct. 7, 2026, to adopt Policy 124, which prohibits student use of artificial intelligence in all grades, from prekindergarten through 12th grade. The vote occurred ahead of an Oct. 22 state deadline tied to Maryland's Artificial Intelligence Ready Schools Act (Senate Bill 720), which requires each local school system to adopt an AI policy that aligns with state guidance.
Policy details
Vice President Rae Gallagher cast the lone dissenting vote, according to the Frederick News-Post. She was reported to have said that restricting AI access could leave older students less prepared for college. The board had initially considered limiting the ban to younger students before teachers and the student board member pushed to extend it through high school, according to the Baltimore Sun. The final policy, released by Frederick County Public Schools, bars student AI use unless it is for AI literacy instruction, required by a course or extracurricular program, included in an Individualized Education Plan or Section 504 Plan, or approved by the superintendent. Staff may use AI for operational tasks consistent with regulations but may not use it to replace direct instruction or to evaluate student work. The policy requires the superintendent to form an advisory group of teachers, administrators, students, and community members to monitor implementation.
Reversal of a pilot
The ban reversed a plan announced weeks earlier to pilot Google Gemini for middle and high school students. According to NILE1, teachers discovered they could not disable the Gemini tool on individual student Chromebooks, leaving it accessible during assessments. The district's technology office said the management console lacked the ability to control the Gemini integration at a granular level, which led to the policy reversal.
State context
Maryland SB 720, enacted as Chapter 634, took effect June 1, 2026. It gives each local school system 120 days from the release of MSDE guidance to adopt a compliant AI policy. The fiscal note for the bill, produced by the Maryland General Assembly Department of Legislative Services, identifies Frederick County among districts that expect costs to hire AI specialists and notes that local expenditures may increase significantly to secure staff with AI expertise.
Comparable district actions
Frederick County's all-grades ban is among the more restrictive local policies to date. New York City Public Schools announced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI in elementary and middle schools, affecting about 600,000 students, with exceptions for assistive technology, multilingual learners, and career readiness programs, according to the NYC Mayor's Office. High school students in New York retain access to a set of limited, vetted pilot programs. Companion chatbots are barred across all grades, and teachers may use AI for planning but not for grading. Los Angeles Unified School District, Education Week reported, announced a moratorium on AI use on district-owned devices for all students for the 2026-27 school year, distinguishing its device-centered approach from Frederick County's ban on use regardless of device.
Community input and next steps
Before the vote, the Frederick County Special Education Citizen's Advisory Committee sent a letter to the board supporting disability rights and accessibility recommendations for Policy 124, including assistive technology and augmentative communication, according to the committee's website. Board President Karen Yoho said the policy is meant to equip students to navigate settings where AI tools are present rather than avoid engagement with the technology. The district's policy committee is scheduled to draft a permanent AI framework by March, as reported by NILE1.