Public raises AI literacy questions; district outlines existing and planned lessons for middle and high school

During the public‑comment period resident Mike Bradley asked how to engage with district curriculum work and specifically how the district is addressing AI literacy for middle‑school students.

Board members and administrators advised Mr. Bradley that the education committee and school‑level instructors are appropriate forums for detailed engagement; committee meetings are recorded and archived online and provide a venue for in‑depth discussion. Bradley said he wanted to learn how to best share specific ideas without presuming topics and indicated an interest in testing and instructional strategies.

District staff member Mike Siminderra replied with specifics about instruction: “We do offer lessons specifically about AI literacy now in grades 5 through 8,” he said, noting the program began last year and is expanding. Siminderra said the district added lessons about AI‑generated images and interpretation and will roll out a lesson for seventh and eighth grades that explains how AI training works and how bias can be introduced. He added that a fourth middle‑school lesson on academic honesty and original work is planned for next year.

Concerning high school instruction, Siminderra said licensing changes with Microsoft Copilot lowered the minimum age for student use and that this school year marks the first time the district can engage ninth‑grade students in direct instruction that incorporates AI tools, though use at the high‑school level remains generally at teacher discretion.

Administrators encouraged the resident to attend committee meetings and consult directly with classroom teachers for student‑specific questions.