The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been extremely rapid over the past few years. New models are constantly developed, improved, and implemented into every aspect of the digital landscape. Nowhere is this shift more obvious than in schools: tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude have become regular parts of many students’ and teachers’ lives across the country. Serious concerns have been raised about this wave of AI usage and its potential to circumvent work, critical thinking, and crucial skill development.
Over the past year, district administrators and members of the Board of Education have dismissed such worries. During a May 2025 board meeting, President Susan E. Megroz Rosenzweig responded to a Kaleidoscope op-ed titled “Three Village Needs A Clear AI Policy”, saying, “A clear AI policy for our students does exist. It’s very clear.” In an interview with Kaleidoscope last month, Vice President Karen Roughley said, “I’m not aware of any issues going on with AI in the high school or middle schools. Of course, there’s always something going on, but nothing widespread.” And when asked for comment for this article, Dierdre Rubenstrunk, Director of Technology and Data Protection Officer, wrote that “Many of the questions surrounding its use are already addressed through established expectations.”
Interviews with many students and staff challenged this narrative, and our investigation demonstrated an extensive culture of daily AI reliance. Nevertheless, many interviewees were not surprised at the scope of our discoveries, demonstrating widespread, if unspoken, acknowledgement of the situation. In fact, the vast majority of those we spoke to requested anonymity for fear of retribution; many more only agreed to discuss the topic off the record.
For many students, AI began simply as an additional resource or a fun image generator. Some described their initial use as simply seeking explanations for difficult concepts or brainstorming ideas for essays. Unlike traditional search engines such as Google, AI tools provide human-like conversation responses that can simplify complicated topics and adapt to a student’s needs. “Personally, AI has helped me in so many ways,” one Ward Melville student explained. “I used it to understand material that I did not understand in school. It’s kind of like a personalized tutor.”
The technology’s ubiquity has further contributed to its spread and has made it difficult to control. AI platforms are now embedded into everyday life, with even Google searches providing generative summaries. Instead of searching through websites, videos, or textbooks, students can ask AI direct questions and receive immediate answers.
“The school recently blocked Google AI on the Chromebooks,” said sophomore John Parkinson. Nevertheless, he explained that AI remains widely available through other outside applications, and even through Google itself. In fact, it remains possible to retrieve an AI summary with one click by selecting “All” below the search bar instead of the now-default “Web.” Several others confirmed that limiting access on school-issued devices has done little to reduce overall usage.
Beyond searches, students described a wide range of ways in which they use AI to support their education. Many explained how they primarily relied on it to catch grammar errors or clarify difficult material. However, others acknowledged that some students depend on it far more heavily, using the technology to generate study guides, practice tests, and even complete assignments.
“Students in our school usually need AI to study for certain subjects like math,” said sophomore Gordon Khamraev. “In addition to understanding concepts, I use it to grade my papers for English and history before submitting them, utilizing the tool to understand my mistakes and build upon them.” Sophomore Ved Patel had a similar experience, stating, “The benefit is that you save more time, allowing you to get more work done effectively.” And one senior said that it had been a month since they completed an assignment without any help from AI.
Usage also varies greatly between classes. Although the Three Village Code of Conduct states that “representing … the work of artificial intelligence applications when not specifically directed to use by teachers” as one’s own is plagiarism and assigns corresponding penalties, there are few guidelines that address when teachers should endorse the technology. Some of this is intentional: Rubenstrunk said, “Its use depends on the learning objective and expectations established by the teacher.” As a result, enforcement largely depends on teachers’ individual attitudes and willingness to spend time on detection.
English teacher Julianne Marra openly discusses AI, establishing explicit boundaries in her classroom. While she recognizes that “if it were used properly, it could be very beneficial to student learning,” she remains skeptical of the technology, saying, “Right now, it’s just too detrimental to the learning process.”
Even with such a clear stance, Marra still frequently sees work generated by AI, but she claimed that “it is very clear when a student is using AI because their voice doesn’t sound like their own. Teachers become familiar with the way students speak and write.” However, several students questioned this mindset, saying that they have submitted AI work with no consequences. (None of these students have Marra as a teacher.) One pointed out a flaw in the argument, saying, “If someone uses AI so much that it becomes their voice, how can the teacher tell?” Furthermore, Marra herself admitted that teachers “can’t keep up” with the rapid technological advances.
Many teachers agree with Marra, although they do so tacitly. However, some have embraced AI, leading to inconsistencies and confusion. Students are occasionally encouraged to use various models, whether to debug code or to conduct research. For example, health teacher Kristina Rudiger has promoted ChatGPT as a “starting point,” including by demonstrating potential uses in class. However, she stressed that “it should in no way replace a professional, and I’ve always said that. I just want to empower [students] to use it appropriately.”
Additionally, some teachers turn to AI to help with their own work. Jacqueline Shaw, one of Marra’s colleagues in the English Department, said, “I definitely use it for visuals and to create slideshows.” Beyond design features, Shaw also employs the technology “as a sounding board for lesson plans,” allowing it to polish her ideas. Others have sent emails to students with AI prompts included, signaling that they wrote their messages using ChatGPT or other models.
In fact, district administration has promoted the use of artificial intelligence despite their public stance, with Rubenstrunk saying, “We encourage staff to explore ways AI can help them work more effectively and focus more time on students.” For example, as previously reported in the aforementioned Kaleidoscope op-ed, the district installed the Brisk AI Chrome extension on all teachers’ devices. The software is able to complete a variety of tasks, including generating rubrics, writing quizzes, and grade assignments.
Although Rubenstrunk clarified that, “AI is not a requirement,” several teachers noted a certain discomfort with the district’s policy, with one saying that “administration is encouraging AI use for teachers more than many of us are comfortable with.”
Outside of Ward Melville, AI has also begun to play a larger role. Magic School AI, a wide-ranging tool made specifically for educational environments, has been widely used at the elementary school level, despite Rubenstrunk’s comments that “AI use is very limited” as the district is focused on “developing foundational skills.” Some teachers have also generated cartoon images of students to include in classroom displays, raising potential privacy concerns.
Many students expressed anger over what they viewed as a double standard, accusing teachers and district officials of selective and unclear AI policies. One senior summarized this viewpoint, saying, “If we’re not allowed to use it, then why can they?” Rubenstrunk acknowledged these claims, writing, “I understand why some students and staff feel that AI use is widespread and that there is a desire for more guidance.”
Despite having diverse opinions and levels of reliance on AI, almost all of those interviewed for this article called for clearer policies and a more serious reckoning with the issue. There have been some efforts to discuss these new technologies, including presentations by librarian Dr. April Hatcher to sophomores, but many suggested that this was not enough. One teacher offered their perspective on Ward Melville’s AI policies and guidelines: “I think [the district policy] could be clearer as far as what constitutes AI, so that it is hard to get around getting in trouble for using it.”
