School districts and charter schools throughout North Carolina will be required to adopt policies on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by students and staff, according to a requirement in North Carolina’s new state budget.
The budget, signed by Gov. Josh Stein on July 7, includes a provision requiring the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to develop a model policy on AI use. At a minimum, this model policy will define AI, include guidance on developing AI literacy and protecting data privacy and security, and describe when using AI is “ethical and acceptable” in an educational setting. After reviewing the policy, districts and charter schools will be required to adopt their own policies on AI use by June 30, 2027.
The budget also directs the State Board of Education to “adopt age-appropriate standards for instruction on artificial intelligence (AI) literacy for grades kindergarten through 12.” Similar legislation was introduced in 2025 but did not make it out of committee.
Standards are a broad framework covering the knowledge and skills students should have after completing a grade or course, and they are developed and updated periodically by the State Board of Education. The state sets the standards, while districts choose the curricula used to implement them at the local level.
According to the budget (p. 158), the new AI standards must:
- Define responsible and ethical AI use
- Explain the limitations of AI tools
- Provide guidance on how to evaluate and verify information supplied by AI
- Discuss data and privacy concerns surrounding AI use
- Establish best practices for interacting safely with AI chatbots or tools
The new AI standards will be incorporated into existing computer science standards beginning with the 2028–29 school year, and the state board will update them annually to ensure they are responsive to advancements in this rapidly changing field. Computer science coursework necessary to graduate from high school, as well as any elective computer science classes for middle schoolers, must be updated accordingly.
These developments mark somewhat of a departure from the more advisory approach to AI in education that North Carolina has taken so far. In January 2024, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction issued a guidebook to give direction to schools on the use of AI, making North Carolina one of the first states to issue statewide guidance. That guidebook recommended — but did not require — policies on AI usage at the local level.
The most recent version of the guidebook, which is updated periodically, “strongly recommends” that districts develop “public-facing generative AI guidelines that ensure a common understanding of how generative AI tools may be used within the education system to further student learning.” Although the guidebook discusses the difference between board policies and guidelines, it appears to focus more on guidelines, which can be updated more easily in response to new technological developments or concerns.
Up until now, districts in North Carolina have taken mixed approaches to addressing AI usage in schools. Some have chosen to provide access to AI tools or platforms for students or staff. Columbus County Public Schools, for example, plans to use the platform MagicSchool in middle and high school classrooms this upcoming school year to “support student learning.” Onslow County Schools provided access to MagicSchool for high school students during the 2025–26 school year.
Some districts, like Hoke County Schools and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, have published AI guidelines to direct AI use in their schools. Districts such as Durham County Public Schools (Policy 4310 and Policy 3220), Johnston County Schools (Policy 3220), and Cumberland County Schools (Policy 4310 and Policy 3225) have added sections on AI to existing policies regarding academic integrity or technology use or both. The Pender County School Board, meanwhile, has adopted a fairly robust, standalone policy on AI.
How the new AI standards and policy requirements change districts’ approaches to AI use in schools remains to be seen.
