Hampshire County board approves one-year School AI contract after teacher demos

The HAMPSHIRE COUNTY SCHOOLS board voted to move forward with a one-year district contract with School AI after demonstrations from three vendors and local teacher feedback.

Superintendent summarized vendor demonstrations and teacher debriefs, saying School AI was visually appealing, student-focused and responsive to district requests during the demonstration. The superintendent told the board School AI had already adjusted features based on local requests during the vendor visit and emphasized that the platform includes guardrails the district finds important for classroom use. Magic School and Power Buddy were presented as alternatives that offer different strengths: Magic School leans toward teacher tools and a broader set of teacher options, while Power Buddy emphasized data reporting.

Cost and scope details discussed by staff and the superintendent: the superintendent reported a packet purchase price of $15,900 and an estimated training cost of about $5,000, and noted the vendor quoted roughly $6 per student as the per-student licensing price for district deployment. The board also discussed continuing use of I Ready for assessment in lower grades because of statutory assessment responsibilities and possible overlaps in functionality.

Board members asked about teacher buy-in, mandatory use and classroom ownership. The superintendent said use would be optional for teachers and that training and coaching were built into the recommended purchase; she cautioned that staff must still read and verify AI-generated material. The board voted to approve the one-year purchase; the motion passed by voice vote.

Staff will finalize contract terms, schedule vendor training and report back with implementation outcomes after deployment. The district emphasized the pilot nature of the one-year contract and that it can be changed or canceled if results are unsatisfactory.