Clay County's 40,000-plus students will face new limits on artificial intelligence in classrooms. The Florida State Board of Education unanimously approved the rules on Wednesday, Sept. 16, according to Bay News 9.

The rules require every public school district and charter school to build AI guidelines into their internet safety policies by July 1, 2027. That means Clay County District Schools has roughly nine months to write and adopt a local AI policy covering its 43 district schools and four charter schools before the 2027-2028 school year.

Education Commissioner Henry Mack said at the board meeting at Polk State College in Winter Haven that the rules set guardrails without banning AI outright in K-12 or college classrooms. He encouraged parents to get involved as districts draft their local policies.

What the rules mean for Clay County families:

Parents get opt-in power. Schools must notify parents when any AI tool is approved for classroom use, including the tool's name, which courses use it and how students will interact with it. A student cannot use the tool unless a parent opts in. Schools must offer a comparable non-AI alternative for families that decline.

Companion AI is banned. AI designed to simulate companionship or emotional relationships with students is prohibited. So is undisclosed behavior monitoring, social scoring and psychological profiling.

Student data is off-limits to vendors. Companies are prohibited from selling, monetizing or using student data to train commercial AI models, News4Jax reported. Districts must prioritize vendors that store and process student data in the United States.

Teachers keep the final call. AI cannot serve as a decision-maker on grading, evaluations or referrals without human review, the Miami Herald reported. Teachers and administrators must also complete training on AI risks, safety and compliance.

Younger students get extra scrutiny. AI tools used in VPK through fifth grade must undergo additional review for age and developmental appropriateness.

Schools must keep records. Districts are required to maintain logs of students' AI interactions for at least 30 days and publish a list of approved AI tools, according to CF Public Media. Schools must also report their AI tools to the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), including which grades and subjects use them.

State Board of Education Chair Ryan Petty framed the vote as a data-privacy stand. "Do not let a vendor turn a child into training data," Petty said. "Innovation without those conditions is not leadership. It is abdication."

The rules originally were slated to take effect in January but were pushed back to give districts more time, Politico reported. A statewide K-12 AI Education Task Force led by University of Florida professor Maya Israel is working with all 67 Florida districts on implementation.

Private schools are not covered.

Clay County District Schools had not issued a public statement on the rules as of Sept. 17. The district has until July 1, 2027, to adopt a local AI policy.