Major Texas School District Bars Elementary Students from Open AI Chatbots
HOUSTON — Katy Independent School District, which serves nearly 100,000 students west of Houston, has adopted a grade-banded policy barring kindergarten-through-6th-grade students from using open-ended generative AI tools such as Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. The framework takes effect with the 2026-27 school year.
Under the policy, younger students may only use district-approved, curriculum-embedded AI learning tools — such as reading-comprehension platform Amira and writing tool Writable — under direct teacher supervision. Access to broader AI tools begins to phase in starting in 7th grade, with guardrails in place. District officials say the approach is not a full ban but reflects a "teacher-led, offline-foundations-first" philosophy for younger grades.
Katy ISD's grade-banded model differs from districts that train teachers on AI use without restricting specific tools by age, reflecting a wider national divide in how US schools are approaching classroom AI as the new school year approaches.
