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At a recent meeting, Westfield Academy and Central School Board of Education members reacted strongly to the news of the Salamanca City Central School District’s plan to introduce a humanoid robot into classrooms.
“As long as I am on the board, I don’t ever want to hear the words AI robot and classroom instruction in the same sentence,” said board member Tom Tarpley.
Tarpley raised the issue during the board commentary segment of the meeting. He referred to a news story about how the Salamanca School District proposed having an AI robot do classroom instruction.
Salamanca district made national news when, according to MSN, it “signed a $57,590 contract (PDF) with robotics startup Realbotix to introduce AI tools and a humanoid robot into select technology classes. “The district has put the plan “on hold” for now, stating that it needs to work out student privacy agreements.
Other members of the board agreed heartily with Tarpley’s comment. Board President Wendy Dyment noted that research has demonstrated that a human teacher is essential to student success. “Study after study has been done showing that human teachers are the single most important factor in a child’s educational development,” she said. “You cannot replace that.”
In other business, the board approved two change orders for the 2024 Capital Improvement Project. One change order, in the amount of $32,801, is to provide labor and materials to remove and install a wall in each locker room to allow installation of inwall plumbing.
The second change order for $11,447 is to provide labor and materials to install 12 new coat locker cubby systems in some of the elementary classrooms.
Board member Deanne Manzella asked if board members could be furnished with a running list of change orders as they occur because the Capital Improvement Project is so large. Business Manager Josh Melquist agreed with this request and said he will take care of it.
Board members also approved the final reading of Policy 5410 regarding purchasing and the first reading of Policy 8440 regarding home schooling.
Tarpley asked if the wording in section G of Policy 8440 needed to be changed. He said the wording seems to indicate that home schooled students can come to the school whenever they want to use district facilities.
Dyment responded that the wording stresses mutual agreement regarding when a home-schooled child can use school facilities. District Superintendent Ryan Sikorski agreed. “We would mutually agree on a time,” he said.
In matters of personnel, the board appointed Alexis Hallberg to a probationary position in the Special Education tenure area, beginning Aug. 3 and ending on August 3, 2030. Hallberg has professional certifications in childhood education, grades 1 to 6 and in students with disabilities, grades 1 to 6.
Elementary Principal Molly Anderson said she believes Hallberg will do exceptionally well. “Alexis came to us after an expensive search,” she said. “This is a great example of how we are a fit for her and she is a fit for us.”
Also, during the period of board commentary, Manzella thanked the school for the support it gives to the community, especially with the recent YWCA craft fair. “I love seeing various aspects of our community work together,” she said.
Sikorski added that the event was exceptionally well attended. “I’ve never seen the town as busy as it was that day,” he said.