The Iowa City Community School District is taking steps to implement artificial intelligence into classrooms across the district. In a recent school board meeting, the district presented its artificial intelligence, or AI initiative, which they kick-started in 2023.
The board labeled the 2023-24 school year as their “exploring year.” During that year, the district gathered community feedback and created its board policy. During the 2024-25 school year, it defined responsible use of AI in classrooms and worked to create student curricula. Responsible use of AI for the district includes using AI in an effective and ethical way, according to the district’s generative AI guidelines.
This school year, the district will begin deploying curriculum into classrooms, along with revising and altering curriculum as needed.
Looking ahead at the 2025-2026 school year, the district is looking to expand its AI leadership committee and conduct AI literacy assessments to identify learning gaps and opportunities. The district is also looking to draft an AI Strategic Plan, which will provide the district with a roadmap for effective integration.
According to the 2025 AI Index Report, 81 percent of classroom teachers in the U.S. say AI education should be included in the curriculum. The report also says two-thirds of the world’s countries now offer or plan to offer AI education to students.
In the district’s elementary schools, librarians are taking on the role of education surrounding AI, covering the basics of AI and discussing responsible usage.
Andrew Fenstermaker, instructional technology coordinator for the district, said the district has been deliberate about how AI is introduced to students.
Fenstermaker said the committee was made up of different groups of constituents, such as teachers, students, and community members.
“We had an opportunity to interview students, teachers, and parents to get some insight into what they were feeling about AI’s role in education,” Fenstermaker said.
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The district is embracing AI in its classrooms, spending $48,000 on 200 Chat GPT education licenses for the 2025-2026 school year, Fenstermaker said. He said the purchase of these licenses was from an operations standpoint, meaning the district is using them to protect security data.
“We have a lot of systems in the district that help the district function as a whole. The intent behind purchasing these was to look at the new version and see how it might enhance efficiencies,” Fenstermaker said.
Generative AI tools can be used to support teachers with lesson planning, adapting existing lessons, and focusing on student engagement and discussion.
Mike Whitt, an elementary school instructional coach at Wickham Elementary, said he feels AI tools are able to complement critical thinking when used responsibly. He said when not used responsibly, AI can lead to a decrease in students’ learning and engagement.
“At an introductory level, these lessons create an awareness of the bias that can exist in large language models to help provide them with an understanding of what is happening behind the scenes when they ask for an output,” Whitt said.
From a classroom standpoint, Paige Lambi, a high school student at Liberty High School, located in North Liberty, has not seen formal integration of AI curriculum yet.
“I have not been made aware of any AI curriculum, but most teachers are pretty against using AI entirely,” Lambi said. “I almost never use AI, but I’ve seen a lot of people use AI as a study tool. They make study guides or flashcards, and that interests me.”
Lambi is open to using AI in the classroom and said she likes the idea of a potential curriculum being implemented.
“I definitely think there is room for AI in the classroom,” Lambi said. “However, I think it is really important for students to understand what AI misuse is, and learn to compile their own ideas and create original work.”