Owasso Public Schools expanded Google Gemini access to students as young as third grade for the 2026-27 school year.

The district is one of the first in the Tulsa metro to adopt formal AI guardrails under a new state law. Students in eighth through 12th grades already had school-approved access to the generative AI tool. The Owasso Board of Education unanimously approved the AI policy at its July 13 meeting, according to Tulsa Flyer.

"We've got to prepare our kids for what's next," Mark Officer, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at Owasso Public Schools, told Oklahoma Watch via Public Radio Tulsa. "We don't want them to be at a disadvantage because we didn't give them the opportunity to explore and learn."

Owasso principals reported zero concerns with AI access for older students during the previous school year, Officer said.

The district's move comes as every Oklahoma school district faces a deadline to adopt a written AI policy before the 2027-28 school year. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the Oklahoma Responsible Technology in Schools Act, Senate Bill 1734, on May 12. The law took effect July 1.

Oklahoma is one of 13 states with a law regulating AI in education, according to Oklahoma Watch.

What the law requires

The law bars schools from using AI as the primary basis for high-stakes decisions, including student retention, promotion, discipline, placement and grading. Educators must maintain oversight and final decision-making authority over any AI-generated output.

Districts must notify families annually about student-facing AI tools and allow parents to opt out without academic penalty. Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, authored the bill.

The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) released a model policy and guidance document to help districts craft compliant policies. The OSDE recommends districts adopt a rating scale for appropriate levels of AI use and require students to cite AI when they use it.

Safety concerns remain

Karen Leonard, director of the OSDE's Office of AI and Digital Learning, said AI detection software is so unreliable it should not be used to catch student cheating. Educators should instead set clear boundaries for every assignment, Leonard said.

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that evaluates technology for families, found Google Gemini shared inappropriate content to children. That included material related to sex, drugs, alcohol and unsafe mental health advice.

The state guidance does not specify what ages AI use is appropriate for. That decision falls to individual districts. Epic Charter Schools also adopted an AI policy in summer 2026 but authorized Google Gemini only for students 13 and older.

Owasso's approach starts younger, at third grade. Officer described Gemini as an engagement tool, not a curriculum piece. Teachers are not required to use it, he said.

Every Oklahoma district must have its AI policy in place before the 2027-28 school year begins.