More than 135 candidates are running for seats across the state’s 24 school districts. Their decisions will shape how local systems put into practice the Artificial Intelligence Ready Schools Act, passed by the General Assembly in April. The law requires each public school system to adopt a plan for integrating AI into K-12 education by the beginning of October.

The candidates’ views, shared in a survey, range from calls to limit AI in younger grades to proposals for teaching students how to assess its accuracy and bias. Many do not advocate banning the technology outright, but stress that its use should be carefully supervised.

“Simply prohibiting AI would be unrealistic and would leave students unprepared for technologies they will encounter in college and the workplace,” said David Plotts, a candidate in Wicomico County. He said schools should teach students to verify information, recognize bias, protect personal data and understand AI’s limits.

A recurring concern is that students could rely on AI instead of developing critical thinking, writing and problem-solving skills. Baltimore County school board member Maggie Litz Domanowski, who is seeking re-election, said AI should support learning rather than replace students’ independent work. Baltimore City candidate Jamar Day warned that unchecked use could weaken students’ creative writing and critical thinking.

Baltimore City’s policy permits students to use AI for activities such as brainstorming, translation and tutoring, while stating that the technology is not intended to replace the district’s approved curriculum. It also allows AI-powered assistants to provide homework help and supplement classroom instruction. The policy document says AI was used to help brainstorm and edit the policy itself.

Other districts have set rules for oversight and privacy. Wicomico County adopted a policy in July that requires qualified instructional staff to review and verify educational material or assessments generated or changed with AI before they are shared. Caroline County’s policy, adopted in August, permits uses that support learning and accessibility while prohibiting harmful conduct such as cyberbullying and plagiarism. Candidate Jean Hayhurst praised its attention to student and teacher privacy alongside educational use.

Candidates also raised concerns about corporate power and the risks of technology aimed at children. Prince George’s County candidate Caroline Decaire-Goldin said she worries about education technology companies profiting from platforms that target vulnerable students, particularly in a lightly regulated environment.

In Baltimore County, candidate Candice Logan-Washington called for age-appropriate rules covering academic integrity, privacy, bias, misinformation and equitable access. She also urged the district to keep reviewing its policy after adoption. Somerset County candidate Sharyn Yuloff said approved tools should undergo security reviews and should not receive personally identifiable or confidential student information.

Some candidates want firmer limits. Montgomery County candidate Cassandra Sung proposed grade-by-grade guidelines and “AI-free zones” where students could master foundational skills before using AI for those subjects. Cecil County candidate Brian Hampton supports banning AI in kindergarten through fifth grade and said he might extend the restriction through eighth grade, while emphasizing that teachers should be trained before the technology is introduced.

Kent County candidate Zeke Falcon argued that students should build core skills before learning to use AI in more structured ways. He compared the technology to a calculator: useful for solving problems, but capable of interfering with learning arithmetic if introduced too soon.

The state law leaves districts responsible for developing their own plans, making local school boards central to decisions about approved tools, staff training, data protections and appropriate classroom use. With the technology evolving quickly, candidates’ responses suggest the debate is less about whether AI will enter schools than about who sets the limits and how students are prepared to use it.