Broward schools won’t halt AI program, but they’ll review it

The Broward School Board has ordered a review of what effects a recently acquired artificial intelligence program may have on students and teachers, but it stopped short of halting the program’s rollout.

During a meeting Tuesday, School Board member Adam Cervera asked for a pause in the implementation of a program called MagicSchool AI until Superintendent Howard Hepburn’s staff provides a written report addressing concerns such as student privacy, program costs, and the effects on teaching, as well as student learning and social and mental health.

He also requested more teacher input and public hearings on the issue.

The School Board agreed to Cervera’s requests for more information, but the majority said a pause was unnecessary because schools are closed for the summer.

Superintendent Howard Hepburn said he’d bring back a report in July to address a number of concerns the board raised. Students return to school Aug. 10.

Hepburn said he hopes to launch the MagicSchool program sometime in the fall semester.

“If this is coming back in July, and the board is going to look at the written report that you’re bringing back in July, why do we need to pause anything or stop anything if it’s not being rolled out to students at all?” Board member Jeff Holness asked Hepburn. “If we have any concerns with that report, then we can address those concerns before it’s rolled out in the fall?”

“That is correct,” Hepburn responded.

The School Board had voted in March to buy the MagicSchool AI program, using a $1.8 million donation from Fort Lauderdale philanthropists Wayne and Lucretia Weiner.

Although Cervera made the request for Tuesday’s discussion, he ended up voting against the item, saying an amended version favored by most board members was “watered down,” since it didn’t explicitly call for the pause. Board members Lori Alhadeff and Nora Rupert also voted no.

“If you don’t pause or stop this, what’s the point?” Cervera asked board members. “We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. Nothing’s going to stop.

“You’ll get a report. The whole crux of this was for a full stop.”

Cervera wanted to prohibit any use of the MagicSchool program, or any similar AI programs, during summer school or teacher trainings until the board voted to resume use.

But Hepburn said 4,300 teachers had already been using a free version of the program during the 2025-26 school year.

Some board members also said that some students and teachers may need to use the program for some of the input that Cervera was seeking about how well the program works.

Hepburn said there’s no other similar AI program used by students right now. District employees are using another AI program, Microsoft Copilot, to try to create efficiencies and simplify job tasks.

The discussion on Tuesday attracted more than a dozen public speakers, most of whom agreed with Cervera’s call for a delay.

“Yes, pause AI. Absolutely,” Daina Sanders, a Davie parent who also serves as chief of staff for the Broward Teachers Union, told the board. “In fact, get rid of a lot of it that we have. We don’t need more AI and technology in our classrooms.”

Zayra Lenchus, a parent and former district employee, also urged the district to slow down the rollout.

“We must ensure AI does not undermine or replace the teacher’s professional judgment, classroom autonomy and lesson design,” Lenchus told the board. “Let’s not fast-track a trend just to be No. 1 at the expense of our children’s privacy and our educators’ autonomy.”

Most board members said AI has a place in education, since students will need to use in the job market. They said more communication was needed with parents and teachers to address their concerns.

Board member Allen Zeman said he’s a big proponent of AI and spends about 15 hours a day on it for his work, but he acknowledged not everyone is as enthusiastic.

“The community has been very clear through this item and other communications that there is significant fear about anything related to AI,” Zeman said.

He said the district needs to overcommunicate with parents that “there are both opportunities with AI and there are safeguards to protect the students.”