Lexington-Richland School District Five board members denied a parent's complaint that sought to restrict student access to internet search engines.

The complaint, filed on Oct. 21 by Lake Murray Elementary School parent Elizabeth Huff, stated, “Even with SafeSearch enabled, [students] are exposed to inappropriate and developmentally unsuitable content through Google Search, Google News, and Google Images.” 

In Huff’s complaint, she stated that previews, headlines, cached text and thumbnail images remain visible to students. She provided screenshots from her child’s district-issued Chromebook that included news on Israel, trending searches and ChatGPT. 

While some board members said the complaint asked the board to either conduct a comprehensive review of all Chromebook usage or strengthen filtering to prevent inappropriate content from appearing, Superintendent Akil E. Ross said the complaint focused on whether students should have access to Chromebooks.

While Chairwoman Kimberly Snipes said she doesn’t want Chromebooks to be gone entirely, the district does need to have conversations regarding school-issued devices. 

Board Member Catherine Huddle said she’s heard from a few teachers who want Chromebooks gone altogether. She said she voted based on how she interpreted the complaint to limit access to Google searches.

In a vote of 4-3, the complaint was denied. The requester can appeal the decision. 

A day prior to the meeting, the district published a video of Ross on Facebook discussing instructional technology in the classroom. 

Effective on Monday, Oct. 27, Ross informed parents that the district will limit access to artificial intelligence platforms, with MagicSchool as the only approved option. In addition, elementary school students would now leave Chromebooks at school, and parents can opt out if they don’t want their children using a Chromebook. 

Several individuals spoke during public participation regarding the new change.

Margaret Nickerson, an instructional coach for two elementary schools in the district, discussed how technology assists teachers. With technology and platforms, students receive responses and are provided immediate feedback. She said if teachers were to provide the same type of individualized feedback, it would require hours of preparation time that they don’t have during the school day. 

Others shared how technology helps teachers identify small groups and better meet students’ needs. Additionally, those who speak another language can use technology to help address learning barriers. 

By the end of the meeting, Ross said he had slightly changed his position from the video posted the day prior, now allowing students in kindergarten through fifth grade to take their Chromebooks home. 

“If they do not want to send those [laptops] home because there’s no instructional purpose, then we’re prepared to store those at school. But if they feel like those need to go home, then that’s the teacher’s decision,” he said. 

The next board meeting will be on Nov. 10 at the Center for Advanced Technical Studies, located at 916 Mt. Vernon Church Rd. in Chapin.