Minnesota School District Forms Cabinet for Artificial Intelligence Policies

Westonka Public Schools in Minnesota has announced the creation of a new artificial intelligence cabinet and policymaking group to manage the impact of AI in classrooms and oversee the technology. District officials aim to highlight the positive aspects of the technology and review tools before they reach the classrooms with this move.

Westonka Public Schools has established a new AI cabinet to keep pace with the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies and go beyond simply preventing student cheating. Mark Femrite, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, described AI as a "disrupter" that can have both positive and negative aspects, stating that they will follow a positive course. Femrite noted that a one-day training was held for staff in June 2025 within the district, and a committee was established in each school building during the process, with these committees reporting to a central cabinet consisting of six strategic personnel.

Under the current policy, students are not permitted to use artificial intelligence, while teachers are only allowed to use Gemini. While the cabinet reviews all AI tools before they enter the classroom environment, the district is also training teachers to detect uses that can be made from personal devices.