The meeting delved into the topic of AI’s growing presence in educational settings, considering both its potential to enhance learning and the risks associated with its misuse. Concerns were raised about AI’s capacity for facilitating academic dishonesty and the necessity of maintaining traditional plagiarism detection methods. A survey among staff revealed a general embrace of AI for professional use, though its application with students was less prevalent. The committee recognized the importance of establishing guidelines for the responsible use of AI, emphasizing the need for a balance between leveraging AI as a tool for productivity and fostering essential literacy and critical thinking skills in students.

There was a consensus on the urgency of regular development and review of AI policies, with the interim superintendent underscoring the historical significance of these discussions. Members were informed of resources for policy development, including insights from the Public Analysis for California Education and practices from Carnegie Mellon University’s Everly Center.

In addition to AI, the committee addressed several other noteworthy topics. A detailed financial report outlined the school’s fiscal health, with the third-quarter general fund budget showing a surplus of over a million dollars moving into the fourth quarter. The committee approved budget transfers, addressed a previous year’s invoice from Direct Energy that had led to savings and increased reimbursement rates, and recommended transferring unallocated funds from the budget to the capital stabilization and OPB trust funds. The aim was to bring the ending fund balance to approximately 1.5 million dollars, representing 4.97% of the budget.

Another focal point of the meeting was cybersecurity, with the IT director discussing the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and measures to tackle phishing, ransomware, and data exfiltration. The committee considered the use of the Outlook app and physical keys for MFA implementation and discussed hosting an event with neighboring districts to address security operations. Additionally, the IT director noted the application for a municipal cybersecurity grant to further support incident response planning and related initiatives.

Further discussions included the need for a long-term plan for technology replacements, such as laptops, projectors, and security systems. Updates to the firewall and the e911 call back number were made to enhance security and improve emergency dispatch accuracy.

The meeting also shed light on the school’s various programs and initiatives. The athletic director reported on the winter sports season’s wrap-up and the beginning of the spring season, noting increased participation and the need for additional resources. The swimming team’s resilience amidst pool renovations and the cheerleading program’s growth and development were highlighted.

The meeting covered the preliminary discussions about a potential school committee superintendent retreat, with Superintendent Mahoney and superintendent-elect Driscoll highlighting the logistical challenges of scheduling such an event. There was also a report on the decrease in the number of incoming freshmen and its potential impact on the budget, as well as increased revenues from the food service program, Fresh Picks.