Should AI be regulated in your kid's classroom? A Livingston school board member's project just became a real bill in Trenton.

A yearlong advocacy project by Livingston Board of Education member Fang Gong — pushing for statewide rules on how schools use artificial intelligence — has turned into companion legislation moving through the New Jersey Legislature.

Gong graduated Tuesday from JerseyCAN's "Parent Champions for Strong Schools" fellowship, a statewide program where parents spend a school year building policy and advocacy skills.

Her capstone project focused on making ethical AI governance and transparency mandatory in K-12 schools, not optional. In her project description, Gong said she worked "with state legislators and education leaders to advance a statewide requirement" for AI oversight in schools.

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No bill number, sponsor or committee assignment has been made public yet. But the timing matters: New Jersey handed out $1.5 million in grants last year to fund AI programs in schools, yet no statewide framework exists for how districts should actually regulate the technology as it spreads into classrooms.

Fellow Livingston parent Harsh Raju also completed the fellowship alongside Gong; details on his capstone project haven't been released.

The Board of Education meets Tuesday, July 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the Central Office, 11 Foxcroft Drive, to discuss referendum plans and costs.

A second summer session Aug. 20 will decide whether the referendum moves forward. Both meetings are hybrid, with webinar links posted the day of each session.

Thinking about running for school board? Nominating petitions are due by 4 p.m. Monday, July 27, at the Essex County Clerk's Office in Newark. Candidates need at least 25 signatures to make the November 2026 ballot.