What Parents Need to Know About Montana’s New AI Rules for Schools

HELENA — Montana has become the first state to release comprehensive guidelines for how schools can safely use artificial intelligence, creating a roadmap that prioritizes student privacy and human oversight while helping educators harness new technology to improve learning.

The 20-page guide, released Tuesday by Superintendent Susie Hedalen, addresses questions many parents have been asking: How will AI affect my child’s education? Who controls the technology? And how do we ensure kids still learn to think for themselves?

“This guidance is about empowering Montana educators and districts to approach AI with confidence and care,” Hedalen said. “We’re proud to lead the way in crafting practical, Montana-made resources that balance safety, ethics, and innovation.”

The guidelines establish five core principles that all Montana schools must follow when using AI: protecting student data, ensuring transparency about when AI is being used, checking for bias in AI outputs, maintaining human teacher oversight, and preserving academic integrity.

What This Means for Students

For students, the guidelines ensure that AI will enhance rather than replace their education. Teachers might use AI tools to create personalized learning materials, provide real-time feedback on writing, or offer additional support for students who need extra help with math or reading.

However, the document makes clear that “teachers bring context, empathy, and moral reasoning that no machine can replicate.” All AI use requires active human oversight, meaning a teacher is always involved in decisions about your child’s education.

Students with disabilities could particularly benefit, as AI-powered tools can provide text-to-speech, language translation, and adaptive interfaces that make learning more accessible.

Privacy Protections

The guidelines address parents’ concerns about student privacy by requiring strict compliance with federal laws like FERPA and COPPA, plus Montana’s own Student Online Personal Information Protection Act.

Schools must ensure that student information isn’t used for advertising or shared with unauthorized parties. Any AI vendor working with Montana schools must sign contracts prohibiting the use of student data to train their AI models or for commercial purposes.

Parents will also know when AI is being used in their child’s education. The guidelines require schools to provide “clear, accessible information to families about AI’s implications and safeguards.”

Protecting Montana’s Values

The guidelines pay special attention to Montana’s unique educational landscape, including rural schools and tribal communities. They require schools to respect tribal sovereignty over cultural materials and data, ensuring that AI doesn’t interfere with Indian Education for All requirements.

“Districts and educators should honor tribes’ existing guidance and established approaches to delivering tribal content when considering the use of AI tools in education,” the document states.

Implementation Support

The guidelines aren’t just a policy document—they come with practical support through the Montana Digital Academy’s Frontier Learning Lab, which Western Montana News reported on in August when it launched.

“Through our Frontier Learning Lab, we look forward to partnering with schools across Montana to turn this guidance into practical strategies that serve teachers and students alike,” said Jason Neiffer, executive director of the Montana Digital Academy.

The lab will provide teacher training, help districts evaluate AI tools, and offer ongoing support as technology evolves.

Rural School Challenges

Recognizing that many Montana schools serve small, rural communities, the guidelines acknowledge practical challenges like limited internet connectivity, fewer technology staff, and smaller budgets.

The framework recommends that rural districts work together through regional cooperatives and shared services to access AI tools they couldn’t afford individually. It also suggests prioritizing AI tools that work reliably even with intermittent internet connections.

Academic Integrity Concerns

For parents worried about students using AI to cheat on homework, the guidelines emphasize that AI must “reinforce learning, not undermine it.” Schools are encouraged to teach students when and how to use AI appropriately, with an emphasis on transparency and reflection.

Rather than banning AI outright, the approach focuses on helping students develop critical thinking skills to evaluate AI outputs and use the technology as a learning tool rather than a shortcut.

What Happens Next

The guidelines are designed as a “living document” that will be updated every six months as technology and classroom practices evolve. Parents and community members can provide feedback through the Frontier Learning Lab website.

Individual school districts will now develop their own AI policies based on these state guidelines, working with the Montana School Boards Association, which is releasing model policies to help local boards implement the framework.

The document represents the culmination of work that began when the Montana Legislature funded the Frontier Learning Lab earlier this year, recognizing that AI was rapidly entering classrooms whether schools were prepared or not.

“Our goal with this guidance is that students and educators will be able to approach AI with critical thinking skills and an understanding of the power of this technology as well as the ethical responsibilities that come with it,” Hedalen said.

For parents wanting to learn more about how AI might be used in their child’s school, the guidelines encourage districts to offer family education sessions and community workshops to help everyone understand both the opportunities and the safeguards.