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Mineola schools present AI guidance, infrastructure upgrades and planned summer tech purchases
Summary
District technology staff told the Mineola Board of Education about an adopted AI policy, classroom AI pilots and planned summer technology purchases tied to network redundancy and device refresh cycles.
District technology staff presented a wide-ranging update to the Mineola Board of Education outlining work on artificial intelligence policy, classroom pilots, network redundancy and planned hardware purchases for next school year.
The presentation — delivered to the board as an informational report — described a recently adopted district policy on artificial intelligence, changes to acceptable-use agreements that add responsible-use language for AI, professional development on AI prompting, and local partnerships with vendors and content producers to pilot AI tools. A staff member said the district is treating AI as a “thought partner and a teammate,” and emphasized starting “with the why and the how before the what” when adopting new AI tools.
Staff described classroom pilots that included a fourth grader using Canva AI for a timeline project and a math tutoring pilot with Thinkverse, a startup developing an AI tutor for algebra and algebra II with plans to expand to geometry. The report included an example in which an AI tool misinterpreted a student’s geometry image and produced an incorrect answer, which staff identified as an instance of AI “hallucination” and as a reason for in-district vetting and teacher oversight.
On infrastructure, district staff said IT upgrades completed and planned include a second redundant firewall and a second internet service provider (a 1-gigabit Verizon line) to complement the district’s Nassau BOCES connection (described as 500 megabits in the presentation). Staff said additional summer work will replace end-of-life Promethean boards, install 32 interactive whiteboards and short-throw projectors, refresh more than 100 classroom monitors, replace high-school network switches (some purchases via E-rate), and add battery-backup units in wiring closets to reduce service interruptions.
Staff also described an Incident IQ rollout that moved the district from an Excel-based inventory system to a web-based inventory with photos and ticketing tied to specific equipment. The presentation noted the district has implemented ParentSquare and StudentSquare this year and is planning a new website for summer rollout.
Board members asked clarifying questions about which purchases are included in the summer packet that will return for formal action; staff said the board has already voted on a multiyear iPad purchase and that the next board meeting (scheduled for June) will include action on battery backups, Chromebooks, interactive whiteboards, desktops for computer-aided design labs, and an “active wall” for Jackson Avenue. The report also referenced use of lease-purchase financing through BOCES to stabilize annual budgets for recurring refresh cycles.
