No. Yes. >> The question I think is more are we still needing this? >> Is that something we should discuss with food service that should be revisited? >> Anything can be revisited. Yes. Absolutely. >> Yes. So that would definitely be a question to direct food services to figure out if that's something that Okay. I will I will take care of that question. I'll get you the answer. >> Thank you. >> Um the next one on the list and interrupt me if I go too fast and you still have questions on any of this member. Uh when do we do our out to bid such as dumpsters? So trash removal including dumpsters is exempt from 30B but there is a the state issues through combines estate contract that we use the vendors that are listed there or you know one of the vendors that would be listed on there.
We are honoring AP, right? It's leave They didn't take that class. All right. Get in there and we'll scoot around you. Thank you, Campo. So, every year we have a district spelling bee. And um it's it's an amazing sight to see if any of you have ever attended that. Um how many of you in here think you're good spellers without using technology? Just raise your hand. See? Good for you. Good for you. Yeah, I'm not. And so, every time I go to the spelling bee or any spelling bee I've ever been to, I'm just always amazed and and uh really really proud of these students and what they accomplish in that arena. A big thank you to Dr. Karen Coleman, where are you? There you are. She helps coordinate uh this event and uh does an awesome job introduct introducing everybody and getting it rolling, but uh a lot of work that goes behind it.
Kylie, we didn't talk about this and I just thought about it now and I apologize, but use you know, 15 grand to uh fund that athletic uh coordination stipend, you know, to give Mr. Cristofoli some help. And then, you know, probably, you know, so that's $137,000. You know, gives us a hundred and you know, $63,000 that maybe we can do something with some of the things that maintenance needs type of deal. And again, we've got an overall problem in the town with a structural deficit type of deal. And unfortunately, my thought is until we kind of you know, we can't spend school choice. This Chris, I agree with you wholeheartedly. You know, if we go through school choice all in one year, we're dead. We're just, you know, close you know, last one out shut the lights off as they say. But the 300,000 and and you know, uh kindergarten stabilization use for you know, per se one-time items.
Can I help you? Right? So we're going way back to that point even and saying that AI has been included in parts of education. Um we have early warning systems um you know for for our uh our math and our English assessments that we do where we can say you know a child is struggling in this particular area. But that's machine learning that's helping us with those things. Um so there's that there's our budgeting tools. um our rostering, we're able to build our classes in our elementary schools with software that helps um guide the creation of those. Um and the reality, this is from Desi, the reality is that AI is not just a future concept. It's already embedded in our systems. The guard rails are are ethical and legal foundations that we that we really have to focus on. um privac privacy and security being number one.
So um it is not formally bid. It is bid by the state and we avail ourselves of that state contract. So we're on the cycle as to when they go to bid. >> Okay. Um, not seeing member rep jumping in. So, I'm going to go to the next one. Uh, how are we determining who services the transportation vehicles? Uh, does this go to bid and what happens if we move to leasing for those vehicle servicing? >> Well, the first option is the city. >> Yeah, you'll see questions, >> but the city can't uh sometimes serves them in a timely manner. So we end up availing ourselves of local, you know, the the challenge being as far as having a and we've seen it and you know the I'll say the former transportation director was looking through the notes and stuff was that vendors if we were to pick a mechanic or go out to bid for a mechanic, they would want a guaranteed minimum number of hours and then you're talking about uh you know the the fact that we can't guarantee it because we want to use the city first.
Her and some other people definitely put it together and And just real proud of it. Thank you for keeping that going, Dr. Coleman. So, tonight we have Usually, we have the first eight places, right? First through eight. And tonight, we have four people because everybody's got busy lives that have confirmed that they're able to be here tonight. And so, um I just want to introduce these students. If they would come up when they I call their name. In seventh place, we had Stella Nabood from Mesquite Junior High School. Yep, right here. And then we'll get all of you at one time. In fifth place, August Richards from Gilbert Classical Accelerated Middle School. There you are. In second place, Tom Solis from Meridian Elementary. And the first place winner of the spelling bee from Gilbert Classical Academy, KAYLANI TORBERT. UM SO, THIS IS what why they shouldn't give me the microphone.
You know, to uh to offset these things. I mean, if we don't have that money's next year, you know, in the uh '28 budget, you know, okay, but at least we had it to do some things in '27. You know, now I know the selectmen was supposed to I didn't watch the meeting last night, didn't go. Uh I know the selectmen was supposed to uh vote on warrant articles and then close the warrant. So, you know, would they even consider us reopening uh reopening that so we could put an article for this 300 grand? I don't know. But those are that's my uh that's my thought on this budget. I like what has been done. I mean, I'm you know, you know, we're still kicking the can down the road with human resources. I know the town said, you know, you can you know, they're willing to help out with their person type of deal.
Compliance with the student data privacy alliance and as we say to our staff uh over and over and over and over and over again um no student PII which is private uh personally identifiable information. No student PII inbots ever. Never ever ever cuz we don't know where it's going. We don't know if it's being used to create something bigger. We don't know if um that data can be accessed by others. So it's easier just to not share it ever. any personally identifiable information. Um, being aware of bias, uh, that the biases can impact certain groups. Transparency that educators and families deserve to know when AI is involved. And academic integrity, um, we're using AI to reinforce learning, not to short circuit it. And those were sort of our guiding principles that we came up with um, throughout the the work that we did at NATIC.
Uh we end up kind of going to whatever reputable mechanic is in town that has the ability to service our vehicles the fastest >> and we'll take our POS. >> Right. >> Oh yeah. >> Right. >> Because some of your >> won't >> smaller garage I'll use the word garages, right? Mechanics won't do that. Not looking to get a promise to pay in another 30 or 60 days. So if will it be a if we're leasing, wouldn't the people we're leasing from be responsible? So that'll sort of take that out of the >> for the most of them cover maintenance for a year. >> Okay. >> I can't hear Andy, just to be clear. >> The first year of a lease most more often than not would cover repairs. >> Uh that was the last time that they did the leasing. the the repairs were covered at least for year one.
Do you remember what word you What word did you go out on? Do you remember? It's all right. We got to relive it. We're We're not just building We're building character, stamina, memory skills. Do you remember? >> No. >> Do any of you remember? >> Yes. >> Yep. I'll come back to you. This might jar your memory. >> Uh Iroquois. >> Do you know how to spell it now? >> Yeah. >> Let's hear it. >> I r o q u o i s. Iroquois. >> How about you? >> Risposta. r i s p o s t a >> Say that word again. >> Risposta. That kind of Wow. Anybody know what that means or what No, the origin? Can you use it in a sentence? No, I can't either. Well, that's a tough word. And Kelani, our winner, what word did you win on? Do you remember that?
But now you're bouncing between two buildings and you know, different personnel and somebody may not be fully aware of what goes on on the school side versus the town side. So, I get a little concerned with that, you know, these are positions that we need. So, we have to think about those real seriously. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, Mr. Nunes. Um I have just one question on the maintenance uh reduction. Uh what would be we be sacrificing uh by reducing that increase? I understand the music. I understand the athletic, but uh with maintenance what what are we losing by reducing that? Right. So, so uh you know, in in expressing our needs in the fiscal year 27 budget, uh the original proposal, I included an increase to the maintenance budget of 365,000 really to address uh preventative and predictive maintenance efforts and the seven buildings.
>> All right. Hey, I decided I wasn't going to stand up. That feels too weird. So, I'm going to sit here. Um, so the the traffic light system was something that we borrowed from Whand High School or Wayland Public School and we thought it was the clearest way for teachers and students to understand kind of what we're talking about with the levels of AI. Um, so with things that are read, you know, prohibited, totally unsafe, unethical, academically dishonest, you know, in teacher speak of using AI as a substitute. Um, and so for example, the other day I was talking to my students about chat GBT and I said, "I prefer you don't use it for this because they haven't signed that privacy agreement and they were like, "What are you talking about?" So I gave a quick, you know, spiel and I said, "So we're going to use Google Gemini because they've signed the um so they they were like, "Oh, so that's like really unsafe." And they were really creeped out by it.
Um but then after that, >> okay, >> then we would go you could either go back to that what dealer, right, or anywhere you want. The city could do it well, too, because you're still responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle. US >> would would our lease be Okay, I'm going to play the devil advocate here. Would our lease still be covered if we took it to have it fixed at the city side and not at a certified air quoting myself or your Honda dealership because I know some leases can be very particular that you have to have your vehicle maintained by us in order to XYZ. >> Uh that would be a possibility. Yes. But at the I'm just thinking on the last time that they leased them. Uh I'm just again going on the first year was covered and then after that uh we availed ourselves through hopefully obviously the city DPW garage and then the local vendor uh should need be.
>> Antigua. >> Let's hear Let's hear it. >> a n t i g u a >> Antigua. Wow. Did you remember? She's like, "Oh, hey, no way." All right, I'm going to have you back at the next board meeting. I expect you to No, I'm just kidding you. >> When the guy like pronounced the word, I wasn't really sure what he was saying, so Yeah, that's probably why I got out, but it's okay. >> Welcome to me if I was in the spelling bee. I don't I don't Hey, a lot of courage, a lot of studying, I know. Uh, more than anything, a lot of heart. So, congratulations. Please give them another hand, and if you guys would shake hands with the governing board and take a picture. Right here in the middle when you're done, and we'll crowd around you for a picture. >> You got it, Dad?
So, uh you know, we we all know that these buildings are only getting older. They're having more and more concerns and it's imperative for us to try and stay ahead of those, you know, those concerns in terms of a predictive maintenance program and a preventative maintenance program. And to be honest, we don't we are reactionary right now. We are not uh I mean, we're preventative in terms of servicing the boilers, let's say, um which we do regularly, or changing filters in in air units, but we are not we don't have a truly comprehensive preventative maintenance program. And so, um you know, given where where where we're headed, I I mean, I I guess I'm I'm pleased to mention that the select board approved the statement of interest for the Dartmouth Middle School building last night. So, that was that was fantastic. We're we're thrilled that that's uh you know, a priority for the select board and hopefully for the community.
So I was like, "Good, red, not um so yellow, caution. um things that require disclosure, citation or specific permission using AI as a collaborator or coach. And then green is, you know, it's approved for use, enhances productivity or learning without replacing critical thought. Kind of thinking of AI as a tutor or maybe a personal assistant. Um shout out to Brandon in this whole process, but especially providing this framework that is flexible enough, you know, as the technology evolves. So in terms of staff guidelines, so things that would be uh in the green would be lesson and unit planning um creating drafts of worksheets, differentiating reading materials, especially as our population continues to diversify in terms of reading levels um and in terms of our MLL students, being able to use it to uh differentiate those reading materials and drafting parent emails. Of course, review would be required for that.
>> Even then if we were on a leasing schedule that could ease up some of the pressure because I do know the city they man some of those city vehicles are old enough that they these vehicles can graduate Greenfield High. Oh yeah. So if we could uh leave some of that pressure on them, even one year of a vehicle not having to take up a spot in the city queue. So >> I think we should put on our next agenda discussing this a little further just the transportation of what our rollout plan could look like. Um, we could I'm trying to think if we would need to have the full committee charge us with that or if we >> if we could do some pre-leg work and present it to them. >> Um, >> an extension of the question. >> I will look into that and if we can, I'll put that on.
>> Well done to our spellers. Thank you, guys. Congratulations. And last but not least, uh if I could have Brian Hutchens, please come up. Hi, Brian. >> Hello. >> How are you? >> Good. How are you? >> Good. Do you know how to spell? >> No, I don't know how >> We're going to You're going to have your own personal spelling bee right now. >> N O Well, that's not why you're here. You're here, Brian. You're a counselor at Mesquite High School, correct? >> Yes. >> And you have won the AZSCA School Counselor of the Year Award for 2026. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> We're real proud of you. Uh we we work really hard to make sure that our schools are staffed appropriately with our counselors, and we're never fully there in my mind. So, I know what you guys do. I know I have some around the room, and it is amazing.
Um but, you know, that's a long-term that's a long-term solution to a short-term problem. >> had a maintenance staff member. Right. Well, yes. We had we had built in a maintenance staff member. Obviously, that didn't make this proposal either. Um but but really, we want to be sure we can maintain these buildings long-term with that $365,000. And And I think what it's going to mean is that we're going to be re- continue to be reactionary and do our best. Um for instance, this year we were at a capital improvement planning meeting and we mentioned the fact that our that our um that our generator at the high school was broken and not working and the finance committee did a transfer to our budget to pay for the fix. And it was I forgot $37,000, I think. So, um so, that was wonderful of them. But, things like preventative maintenance to this equipment um is is critical and we need to be on top of that.
So those are not things that you have to do with AI, but those are things that would be okay to do. Um, in the yellow, things that you would either disclose and or verify formative feedback drafts. So uh I haven't tried this yet, but there are teachers who are um using a program called Brisk, which I think is approved. Um, and you can uh in other schools, not our school, you can have your students submit a draft, submit the rubric, and it will give them feedback. So that would be a yellow um thing. If I wanted to try it out, of course, I would be, if I was doing it, I would probably have the students do it. I would disclose it to them. It would just be formative feedback not going in my grade book. Um, HR, job descriptions, data analysis, and anonymized uh only and let letters of recommendation drafts.