The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education approved an architectural proposal for the new KBEV studio and tabled a measure on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) at its Nov. 18 meeting.
The board unanimously approved a proposal to provide a comprehensive architectural design of the new KBEV studio from PBWS Architects in the amount of $57,270. The board approved a partial demolition of the studio in August and completed a conceptual design for the new renovated studio. The firm will now conduct a scoping phase to determine code-required improvements, validate stakeholder criteria and establish a project budget. The proposal will include acoustical testing, evaluating the feasibility of the conceptual plan and reviewing existing equipment.
KBEV is BHUSD’s media program that broadcasts news and community programming and provides educational opportunities in broadcasting and filmmaking. Filmmaker and author Kyle Newman recently began his tenure as the district’s new KBEV Director.
BHUSD Superintendent Alex Cherniss noted that the cost of the proposal was lower than other offers and will be offset by construction firm Fonder-Salari providing extra services.
Board President Rachelle Marcus commended the renovation plans.
“I agree with [Board Member Russell] Stuart that this has been a long time coming. I know that our students have been in limbo while working with KBEV. They’ve been doing a great job under the circumstances,” she said. “The only thing that bothers me is that this is still a long way away before it will be finished.”
The board also decided to table a separate measure related to the use of AI in district schools. The policy supported the safe and ethical use of AI by students and staff to aid with education and stressed that it be implemented “as a tool to augment and support, rather than replace, staff in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.”
Board Member Amanda Stern said she brought up the item to build on the “Maintaining Safe Digital Citizenry” policy that was passed in 2024 in the wake of the expulsion of five Beverly Vista Middle School students for using AI to create “deepfake” photos of their classmates.
“It is my hope that within the next year or five years that we develop a robust AI task force or committee because there are a lot of amazing things that AI can do, but it must exist parallel to guardrails that make sense and protect our learners,” Stern said.
Stern also said that an AI policy can support students checking their work with AI and using it for research, rather than completely producing assignments.
Stuart said the policy fell short in helping students implement AI to bolster their learning.
“Right now, this policy is safe and neutral, but it does not set any clear goals for student learning, for teacher support and real innovation,” he said. “It reads like a document that protects the system, not one that leads change. Yes, we need ethical guardrails, but we also need a plan for how AI can help students learn faster, learn deeper and learn in ways that match how the world works now.”
Board Member Judy Manouchehri also expressed that the proposal did not go far enough in preparing students to effectively use AI for future jobs. Board Member Sigalie Sabag advocated to remove any language that involved disciplining students who use AI on assignments.
“[Students] are going to use AI once you send [assignments] home with them,” Sabag said. “If you don’t want them to use AI, have them do it in the classroom, have them write it out.”
However, Assistant Superintendent Dustin Seeman emphasized the need for an AI policy that prohibits direct copying just as students cannot copy from Google or a published book without properly citing the information. Cherniss agreed that the proposal needed revisions before voting and said the Board will revisit implementing an AI task force for the district.
“I would love to have an AI academy, or an AI program and I want Beverly Hills to be at the forefront of AI in public education,” he said.
Marcus said that the Board will bring back an improved policy on AI before voting.
“I see this as something of a steppingstone that we can improve upon,” Marcus said. “We do have cheating policies in the district, and so on. It’s not about the cheating policy. It’s about making this so that our kids are using it, so they know how to use it to improve, to citate and assist themselves in doing something.”
