AI in Maryland schools: the 2026 rules and examples

[ MARYLAND ]

Maryland in 2026

Maryland schools are moving in different directions at once. The state passed a law requiring AI literacy standards. Howard County gave every high school student Gemini. Frederick County banned student AI. And Maryland's privacy laws set rules for any AI vendor that touches student data.

The AI Ready Schools Act (SB 720)

Maryland's AI Ready Schools Act (SB 720, 2026) requires the state to fold AI literacy into its K-12 workforce-preparation and computer science standards by June 1, 2027. Local school systems must adopt an AI policy within 120 days of state guidance, name an AI coordinator and choose AI tools with a state rubric. Its duties fall on public school systems; private schools are not named.

Two districts, two answers

Howard County gave all its high school students Gemini from Jan 27, 2026, after an AI literacy lesson, with assignments AI-free unless a teacher says otherwise.

Frederick County's board voted 6-1 on Oct 7, 2026 to ban student AI use from pre-K through grade 12, weeks after starting a Gemini pilot for middle and high schools. Exceptions cover AI literacy lessons and disability accommodations; enforcement was not yet set when the vote was reported.

Privacy law for AI vendors

• Education Article 4-131 (public-school contracts): no targeted ads, sale or student profiles except for a PreK-12 school purpose; security; deletion on request.
• Online Data Privacy Act, in effect Oct 1, 2025, for businesses above thresholds (35,000 or more Marylanders, or 10,000 or more with over 20% of revenue from data sales): no targeted ads to, or sale of data of, a consumer the business "knew or should have known" is under 18; collect only what is reasonably necessary and proportionate. FERPA data is exempt; private-school data is not FERPA data.
• Maryland Kids Code, for firms over $25 million in revenue or with 50,000 or more consumers or devices: impact assessments, no profiling of a child by default, and data minimization.
• Breach law: a vendor holding data for another business must tell the owner within 10 days.

Reporting duties

Maryland educators who have reason to believe a child is abused or neglected must report it orally as soon as possible and in writing within 48 hours, and must also tell the head of the school. If teachers can read student AI chats, a disclosure in a chat can trigger that duty. Decide in advance who sees such messages and how fast.

Phones and guidance

On Patch's reading of Education Week's tracker (July 2026), Maryland is among the states with bell-to-bell phone rules; whether those rules bind private schools has not been confirmed. AI for Education's tracker, updated Aug 21, 2026, counted 35 states plus Puerto Rico with official K-12 AI guidance or policy, not including Maryland; other trackers may differ.

Where Nexus stands

Maryland's student-data law for public schools bars targeted ads, sale and profiles outside school purposes; we follow it for every school. We tell a school within 72 hours of confirming a breach, inside Maryland's 10-day rule for vendors. Nexus is built by Narb LLC, which is based in Lewes, Delaware.