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The Portland School District's climate policy, established before the widespread adoption of AI, currently lacks guidelines for navigating the environmental and educational impacts of artificial intelligence software. Students, educators, and parents are pushing for updates to address AI's significant electricity and water consumption, advocating for its responsible use and integration into climate literacy.
Alma Valls, a Cleveland High School student, initially used AI tools like ChatGPT for academic help, viewing them as a natural evolution of educational technology. However, a conversation with a friend prompted her to investigate the environmental impact of AI. Research revealed that generative AI demands substantial electricity and water for training and operation; for instance, Google's Oregon data centers consumed nearly 550 million gallons of water in 2025, accounting for almost 40% of The Dalles' total water usage. This discovery shifted Valls' perspective, making her 'anti-AI' due to escalating climate concerns. As a student representative on the Climate Crisis Response Committee (CCRC) of Portland Public Schools (PPS), Valls identified a critical oversight: the district’s progressive 2022 Climate Crisis Response Policy, which targets net-zero emissions by 2040 and prohibits new fossil fuel infrastructure, offers no provisions or guidance regarding artificial intelligence, having been enacted prior to AI's widespread proliferation. This policy gap worries Valls and other students, including Ian Ritorto, a former School Board student representative, who observed that PPS students feel 'overwhelmingly negative' about AI's classroom use. Consequently, the CCRC has recommended limiting AI in classrooms, publicly tracking district AI adoption, and incorporating education about AI’s environmental impact into the curriculum. Community members, such as CCRC chair Alyssa Koomas, stress the importance of proactive, inclusive policy-making rather than merely reacting to the rapid advancement of AI technology.
Isaac Rudiger, an incoming Cleveland High School senior, echoes Valls' concerns, feeling that the district's hesitant stance on AI represents a 'step back' from its prior climate initiatives. The Portland School Board has long acknowledged the challenge of formulating AI policy given the technology's rapid development. Despite this, PPS experimented with two pilot literacy software programs, Amira Learning and Lumi Story AI, during the 2025–26 academic year, with contracts totaling over $150,000. In April 2026, the district released an AI guidebook, providing staff with guidance on integrating generative AI to enhance work and encouraging students to consult instructors on AI use for assignments. However, parents and educators raised concerns that this loose guidance could hinder students' critical thinking skills. Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong confirmed that these pilot programs would not continue, and no new generative AI contracts are planned for the upcoming 2026–27 school year. The board also passed a resolution to pause new generative AI contracts and to catalog all existing AI tools within the district. Despite these actions, CCRC members, including former member Angela Long, highlight that AI is already informally pervading students' daily use beyond homework. Long advocates for a policy that educates students on responsible AI use, especially its environmental impact, rather than a complete ban. School Board member Michelle DePass expressed interest in amending the district’s climate policy to better address AI and developing a broader AI policy in the next school year, but first seeks a comprehensive understanding of AI’s current presence across all PPS applications and student Chromebooks. Valls hopes the committee will continue pushing for explicit references to AI in the climate policy, asserting that 'AI is a climate issue.'