Today is Tuesday, April 7th, 2026. The time is 3:45 p.m. I will now call the policy committee meeting to order. Miss Kenny, is there a quorum present? >> Yes, there is. >> All right. Thank you. Please stand for the pledge. I alian to the flag of the United States
of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. Okay. Um is there a motion to approve the
agenda? >> So move. >> Thank you, Tara. Is there a second? Second. >> Thank you. Um, any discussion? Discussion. Discussion. All right. Hearing none. All those in
favor signify by saying I. >> Opposed. >> All right. Motion passes. Uh, section three, review of policies. These policies are being reviewed as part of a three-year review cycle. So, we will look at the entire policy.
All right. Is there a motion to approve sending policy 608 instructional services special education to the school board with no changes? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. It's been uh motioned and
seconded. Uh discussion. >> Yes. >> Yes. I just uh I have a question. Okay. For on 3B. Okay. It's under the B category. So a child, am I understanding this right? A child 0 to six at local discretion
doesn't need a diagnosis from a licensed physician, a physician's assistant, or registered nurse. Is that correct to how I'm reading that? >> Go ahead, Wendy. Do you want to take it? >> Sure. >> We have some professionals on here. >> Thank you. So for early childhood
special education, we have our own criteria that we use to um qualify children as needing special education services and we look at more of their development instead of a category at
this age. So if for three to six if they have two areas that we have concerns with and those areas are more than 1.5 standard deviations from the mean it is qualifying scores for special education
under the age of three. We only need one developmental area to provide those services. Just to clarify too because I I actually had personal when our our youngest uh I wanted I she was having some problems when younger with speech and everything
and and >> the professionals said you know don't label her. So is that is that a problem? What so it doesn't stay there? >> No. with developmental delay. It is a category that sunsets when a child either. >> That's what I wanted to know. Yeah,
because I didn't want to label child and because I was told and they they were right actually because I was saying, "Oh, let's do this." Well, okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any further discussion? Any further discussion?
All right. Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. opposed. All right, motion passes. Is there a motion to approve sending policy 612.1 development of parental of parent involvement policies for title one
programs uh to the school board with no changes? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. Um discussion. Yes. >> Okay. Uh page two on D. It talks in the
middle of the paragraph. It says with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, have limited English profic proficiency, have limited literacy, or who are of racial or ethnic minority background. Uh
I guess to me uh when we talk about economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited English, limited literacy, uh to me that covers the gamut. And I don't think we would need racial or ethnic minority background because at some point this could be called racist or
discriminatory. So I just don't like the fact that it's in there. So I have a problem with that. >> Okay. Uh I did forget to mention that uh 612.1 is a mandatory policy. Okay. So
any other discussion? Any other discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Opposed. >> No. >> All right. Motion passes. Uh what would that be? One, two, three, four,
six to one. Is there a motion to approve sending policies 704.1, development and maintenance of an inventory of capital leases and softwarebased information technology agreements to the school board with no changes?
>> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> All right. I'll give that one to uh Tara because she was on time. All right. discussion. >> I have a >> Yes.
>> Okay. I I just have a question. Uh page three, uh under H, it talks about capital leases for furniture, machinery, and equipment that meet the $5,000 threshold. Anything under then is not recorded. Correct. Because you'd be recording every little thing and it would take too much paperwork on this.
Correct. Thank you. >> You'd be counting every single chair, every single pencil, every single table. >> That's my five. >> Yeah. Any further discussion? Any further discussion? All right. Hearing none. All those in
favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> Motion passes. All right. That is the last of our review of policies. We will now move on to our revision of policies. So as a
reminder with the revision of the policies uh we are only looking at the revisions which are the red uh portions that have been provided in there. Okay. >> Um is there a motion to approve sending revisions to policy 427
workload limits for certain special education teachers to the school board. >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. Um discussion. So uh in this there it's once again this is a
mandatory policy um and the updates are in article 2 section B it updates some information around indirect services. Any further discussion? Any further discussion?
All right hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I >> I >> opposed. All right, motion passes. Um, is there a motion to approve sending revisions to policy 515, protection and
privacy of pupil records to the school board? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. Um, discussion. So looking at 515, once again, this is a
mandatory policy. Um and then the changes were in article 6 B16. >> Yep. >> So just since this is one of those that is over 10 pages, >> yes, >> 6B
um >> 15 >> 15 would be on page I think it's >> 36. >> 15 uh 36. Yeah. uh 515-15.
Uh so you see down there the changes that have been made and I believe those are Nope. On then 55-9 uh they just actually just changed the title from Commissioner of Health to Commissioner of the Minnesota Department
of Health. Um all right, any further discussion? Any further discussion? All right. Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> All right. Motion passes.
Is there a motion to approve sending revision to policy 530 530 immunization records to the school board? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. um discussion.
So looking at this one, uh MS MSBA updates article 6B to reflect the Minnesota Health and Human Services guidance and resources have been added. So 6B starts at the
bottom of page 66. You see some information has been added and some information has been redacted. Um and then resources have been added as well. Any further discussion?
>> U Mr. Chair, uh I would I'd really like to know what the exceptions are, but I I think I think I you know I think I really think this sometimes is an attempt to dismantle some of the parental rights. So I can't
vote for this. So thank you. That's all I'll say. >> Any further discussion? All right. Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> I. >> Opposed? >> No.
>> All right. Motion passes 6 to one. Um. Is there a motion to approve sending revisions to policy 615 uh testing accommodations, modifications, and exemptions for IEPs,
section 504 plans, and LEAP students to the school board? >> So, move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Cassie gets it. >> I'll have Cassie have that one. Thank you. Um
so section uh 615 discussion uh it aligns the policy with transition to alternate MCA requirements. So you can see there's been quite a quite an quite a lot of changes to meet
up with the new and modified MCA requirements. Any further discussion? Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> I. >> Opposed.
>> Motion passes. Uh, is there a motion to approve sending revisions to policy 618, assessment of student achievement, to the school board? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second.
>> All right. Thank you, Wendy. Um, discussion, >> Mr. Chair. >> Yes. >> On page two under G, why are they adding health? I'm just curious. Locally developed health academic standards and health
apply. So, they're adding they're adding health due to the fact that um health standards are being developed by the state and will be implemented, but they're then allowing schools to work under local standards until those standards come into place.
>> Historically, we've never had health standards put out by MDE, so that's why it's being put in there because they're developing them right now. >> Okay. I wish they would have waited. Um so, because Okay. And then on three
page two D it said uh okay science assessments it said in the grades 6 through eight span and life science assessment in the grades 9 through 12 span a passing score in the high school
science assessment is not a condition of receiving your diploma. So if you don't pass it, you still receive. What happens then? >> You still receive your diploma. >> Okay. Okay.
>> We're getting a request from our tech department to make sure we're speaking into our mic when we get a chance. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Any further discussion? Any further discussion? All right. Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I.
>> I. >> Opposed. >> No. >> Uh motion passes 6 to one. All right. We now have new policies. So we're going to hear of a new policy now. >> Oops. So, is there a motion to approve
sending new policy 625 to the school board? This policy is titled responsible use of artificial intelligence. >> So, move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. Thank you. Um, we have uh Mr.
Mike Birding who is our tech director who is available for questions. This is a new policy. Just to give everyone a little bit of information, um, schools have been asking for a while for some some type of artificial intelligence
policy for school districts to have. Um, the state was reluctant at first to do this. We've been asking for, I would say, a couple years now. Um, there are very few states that have one of these. So, this is, uh, our this is the state's first attempt at creating an artificial
intelligence policy. Um, Mike is here not necessarily to go through this all because I will tell you, if I'm just being honest, there's a lot in here that I don't understand. Um, but he's here to answer any questions that you have or anything that popped out
that you're like, "Wow, I really don't understand what that means when it says that." Okay. Um, so let's just kind of go through section by section here. Um, so looking at the first page, the purpose and the general statements of policy. Does
anybody have any questions with the purpose or the general statements of policy that goes section 2A through I3? Any questions for that section? I'm hearing none. Mr. Burning, anything
to add for that section? The only thing I noticed or that I highlighted in sections one or two uh is under 2G I underlined the word will because as we see in policies will means will. >> Okay.
So that is something that uh 2G you said uh where it says uh school district will provide ongoing training and guidance to mitigate the potential for bias and m misinformation
and will hold students and staff accountable for the consequences of AI use. >> Correct. >> Okay. And just as a as a reminder will means that you have to. All right. And then I underlined the word will
again in I2 um of section two. Um and the reason I did that uh is uh because I was interested in why the model policy said grade six through 8 dot dot dot dot dot
will be addressed but will is not identified in one or three. >> Okay. >> So that was just one thing I noticed. >> All right. I do want to remind the committee that at this point this is not a man mandatory um >> policy
>> policy and if we want to take more time we can also take more time to look at this as well. This was released back at the beginning of March or February I think it was >> I think it was the end of February.
>> End of February. Yeah. End of February. Beginning of March. Um so we've had this for about four to five weeks now. Um so >> all right uh section three is definitions. >> Sorry I have a question. >> Yes. >> Uh grades six through eight.
>> Um what is the the process of teaching digital citizenship? >> That was kind of my question too. Like where are we putting these skills in to make sure they're being covered? I guess
>> I think that's a really good question. I think we need to probably um that would be something that we would want to discuss with uh most likely our director of teaching and learning um or our middle school
principal. Um >> Cassie was >> and section two I2 >> y >> um so I did write that question down. All
right >> because if we're not I mean I think as a parent of a middle schooler I think be wonderful. Well, and I think a lot of people talk about it and it's brought up in classes, but if it's something that, you know, will or must be addressed in a
certain way, we need to make sure that it's the same across the board and that people know what they're supposed to be addressing and who's taking care of that. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. Okay. >> Any other questions through section two? All right. Section three is definitions.
Does anybody have any uh questions around the definitions that this uh MSBA has provided there? >> No, but I learned a lot. >> I I just want to make a comment uh at
the bottom of page 3H called a human AI human model. Um I like that. I really like that that's put in there because I think I don't think a machine is ever going to take the place of a human. Um, so I think you've got the human at the
beginning and human at the end. I think that's really a good thing and I think it that was kind of stressed through, if I remember right, it's been a while since I read this. This was stressed throughout this and I appreciate that. Any
other questions around definitions that go through letter M, including letter M, which is voice cloning, which Mr. Bernie has been guilty of in the past with myself
with permission. >> I had permission. >> I remember >> at the presentation to the school board. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Cooped me out. Please don't do that. All right. Hearing none, then section four, equitable access to AI technology.
Um, any questions on that? Uh, this is one that Mr. Burning and I talked about that it's because we provide devices for students and we don't necessarily depending on age level limit access that they have. We didn't really think that this was going to be
that much of a concern. Um, but it would be more around the training piece of it. So, any questions for that section 4? >> My only my only question that I would have um as the you know policy committee
reads through this policy again um is the provision of resources. So, a in that section, provide necessary devices, internet, connectivity, and assist of technologies to students and staff who need them. Um, it doesn't say in school.
Um, so I would say like, uh, making sure that everyone has internet access, uh, especially if you have transient populations, can be complicated. We do make a good valiant effort to do so. Um, but I can't guarantee it. >> Okay.
I think that's a good distinction whether it's in school or outside of school. So, um, anything else then for section three or excuse me, four, section four. >> All right, moving on. Section five,
curriculum integration and AI literacy. >> Questions? >> Mr. Sure. Um, y >> for C, I I really uh I did like that students will indicate a AI use on assignments. So, I think that's that's a
good thing. So, I was happy to see that. So, silly question. What if a student doesn't indicate they are using AI on their assignments? Is there a process in which the teacher
staff member verifies that? >> So then I think what we would look at is um it would potentially then fall under cheating. So we would then follow those procedures that are outlined in the
student handbooks depending on what what the instructor um and what the administration says at that time. So, do you add the other cheating policy somewhere within
>> um see that I I don't >> or cross reference? >> Yeah, that I don't I'd have to look at that one. Well, there's not there's not I should I guess I misspoke. There's not a cheating policy. >> There's a cheating practice that's based on of our handbooks.
>> So, response to it. So, So the answer to that is no. There would not be a cross reference because it's not a policy. >> Okay. >> One of the other things that we do within there um when we have these conversations or when we do training is um kind of some sentence starters uh
that we will give to teachers that say like if you see this behavior um let's say um a jump in academic language that you wouldn't expect, here's how you're going to respond to that. Um, so we do provide teachers with some of that stuff
to to aid in that H AIH process um to say like, "Hey, I noticed this. We're going to talk about it. We're going to talk about why it's important to hear your voice uh and and know where you are." Um, so we're very intentional about that.
>> Thank you. >> Any further questions for section five? Section six deals with an art artificial intelligence committee. Any questions for Mr. Birding around
section six? Mr. Birding, anything on section six? The only thing I would I would like to um just be very cognizant of is how we establish that committee um and what the
u um plan for that committee would be and that says you within section six there it does say you need an AI use plan. Um but further um it uh
requires the committee to where's the language here? Um set or evaluate the tools develop and recommend to the school board appropriate AI use plan roadmap for AI. um allowing for
appropriate there's a specific spot where it says um identifying and approving the the tools. So, I'm not don't remember where it is exactly, but uh the the concern I would have with that is um if a tool that
we've already approved uh that is not AI enabled um becomes AI enabled and what that would look like in terms of a committee and what that would look like in terms of use of the tool. Um for example, we have a tool called educa uh that we use as a data warehouse. um what
would the process look like if they were to implement AI? Um so that's my only question that anything else for section six. Section seven, student use guidelines.
>> Yep. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I guess this goes along with kind of like uh the cheating thing that we talked that students, you know, potentially using AI uh they can cheat.
Uh, is there is there a maybe you answered this, is there a way for teachers to tell if I know way back when I was getting the doctor, my professor happened to tell all the students that you ever download
anything like that? She said, "I have ways to find out." And so I'm wondering is she was she using that? So I'm assuming there is there are tools out there that can do but it's not you still have to have the human factor in there because they they know how the student for instance when you read enough
student papers you know how they write and if they deviate a little bit you wait a minute something's going on here. So, so but there are there basically tools out there for I think there are. I just wanted to make sure. >> Yes, there are. >> You have to use the human.
>> There are tools. Um I I would always hesitate a little bit um just to make sure that those tools aren't the arbiter of um what the kid receives as a grade. Um because of course you want to make sure that there's that human interaction there. Correct.
>> Um because the tools that are AI detectors are tools uh that use AI themselves. Um and the it there are also large language models
that exist um that would say take my chat GPT output and then fuzz it to make it look more realistic. Um so with the advancements like we're we're getting to the point where it could be harder and harder to tell. Um, and then as as
people who are wanting to cheat uh could eventually do is just engage in the prompt that gets it to look like they wrote it. I mean, that is something that could happen. Um, which is why, as I mentioned earlier, we fall back on that conversation piece. Um, because when
when we look at what we're trying to do here, uh, as a school district, if I want you to learn, I need to make sure that what I'm seeing is yours. um and really reinforcing that. Um and then
also looking into ways to to to mitigate or um create AI resistant assignments, right? Like we have those conversations about here's what we can do so you can make it so that AI would be impossible to use or really really difficult to the
point where they wouldn't want to use it. So >> thank you. >> Section eight, staff use guidelines. Any questions? Section nine, data and artificial intelligence. I I guess Mr. Birding, did you have
anything for the staff side of it? I apologize. I skipped over you there. >> No. >> Okay. Section nine. Mr. Birding, anything in section nine? No. >> Okay. Uh, move on to 10 AI vendor
agreements and licensing. Any questions? Anything to add, Mr. Burning for section 10? >> Um, I would add the same thing that I I added when I talked about um the um
student data privacy bill that went to uh the House and became law. um a number of years ago now. Um one of the one of the things that I would love to see here uh is state guidance in in what these vendor agreements and
licenses should look like. Okay. >> Um and they tell us we have to follow these expectations, but in Minnesota, all of those expectations fall on the school to decide. Um, so if we had anything that was kind of standard, which we we have our own here that we
developed um that we send off, but um it'd be nice to have some backing in there as well. >> I do have a question. >> Yes. >> Do we look at the amount of energy the different AI programs use? Is that taken
into consideration when we're looking at having students at a certain grade level develop and use AI? >> Are you talking like actual forms of energy like water and electricity? Okay. >> Yes. >> Um the
the issue that we'll run into with that um ultimately boils down to a political one. So I would make the recommendation of not um you know taking kind of a neutral stance uh providing folks with both sides of the information. Um so
uh in the policy I don't I don't know if that would be completely necessary. Um but I do know that it can become a heated argument very quickly. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> That's a good question though. Mhm. Well, if we're comparing which one to
use and we can find something that >> is beneficial to the students but yet energy neutral or less than others. >> That would be something I would consider. Section 11, AI and records retention.
Any questions for Mr. Birding? Mr. Burning, I think if you and I talked, we one of the questions we had was we don't know where some of this is stored. Correct. >> That's true. >> Yep. >> So, this this this could be one of those pieces like I I personally use chat GPT. So, I have a lot of my writings in chat
GPT where I either upload something or I'll just write it in there and then I have it do it. I have that's not stored on our local servers um or on our cloud through Google. So, if that was part of, and I'm, you know, I'm probably damaging myself here, but
if that was part of a data request, I don't know how we would pull something like that because it it's not we don't have access to it. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. And I I would say if we were to move forward with the policy as written
and we were to have that committee and then go through the vendor agreements and licensing um one of the things that I would recommend be on that agreement is uh some sort of admin workflow um to be able to have that retention. Um for instance we do subscribe to um Google
Workspace for Education. I don't remember which uh um tier we have of it but um with that we do get access to Gemini. Anything that goes into Gemini using a school account I can pull from our retention. Um so we do have an admin
facing platform for that. Um so I would look for that again into the um agreements and licensing for any approved tools. But again, if you do something off on your own and pass it off as word of the, you know, district or the building or someone else, I might not
have access to it. >> Um, all right. Uh, section 12, reporting AI related concerns, misuse, and incidents. Uh, any questions for Mr. Birding or anything Mr. Birding to add for that section?
All right, moving on. Section 13 is training of school district staff, teachers. Um, I don't think this is one that we already do this. So, um, and then 14 and 15 is notice and review. And then you have legal
references that are down there, cross references, and then resources that have all been linked in there. So, that's a little bit of a long one there. Um, so I do remind us that there is a motion and a second uh to move this
on to the school board. I remind this committee that if it if it does move uh if it does pass to move on to the school board, it would go as a first reading. Um, at that first reading, I may ask for the school board, depending on how some
of the answers come from this or some how some of the schoolboard members re respond, I may ask for them to take a look at it and potentially kick it back to this committee if they have large concerns with it. >> Yep. >> Okay. Uh, so I just want you to be aware
that that we may see this come back um and it may have to go through legal and stuff like that. Um but uh so with that being said, is there any further discussion? >> I just have a Has it gone through legal already? >> It has not gone through our legal. It has gone through MSBA's legal.
>> Okay, that's my question. I I guess yeah, I think this is you know, we've never done something like this before and I think thank you uh Mr. Birding for doing that and and I guess we really need some guidelines. Um I do like the fact that it's human AI human. And I
think that's really important because I I you know the ultimate goal of AI is to dehumanize I think and ultimately become God. But what we have to do we have it now we have to have guidelines for it. I think it's important. So thank you for
the work that you did. >> Any further discussion? Final call. Is it a is it a good idea to send this forward as a first reading so they you know we can get some more insight from more people before we answer the
questions that we >> it will automatically go as a first reading. >> Perfect. >> Yeah. >> So >> because it's a new policy so it will automatically go to the board as a first reading. So they'll have at least two months to look at it before it goes to a
second reading. So, >> and then we'll have a chance to get these answered before it would go through. >> Yeah. What I would say is that those were questions that were brought up at this group. >> Okay. >> If we decide to move it forward with those questions still unanswered, then I will move forward with with answering
those questions and let the board know these were questions that the policy committee had. They still chose to move it forward to the school board. Uh but here are the answers to those questions. Okay. >> I mean, I think it could obviously move forward. This would just be the piece that we would have to focus on after it
was implemented with that piece of it. So that makes sense. >> Okay, >> we're good. >> Any further discussion? Final call. >> All right, hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I opposed.
>> All right, motion passes. Thank you, Mr. Birding. Um, all right, moving forward. Section four. Our next meeting will be June 2nd, 2026. We are going to uh we are going to
forego the May meeting because we are so far ahead in our review cycle that there's no if if we did meet in May, we probably wouldn't have to meet again until like September. So, we're trying to space it out a little bit then. Um,
so our next meeting will be June 2nd, 3:45 p.m. here in this room. Uh, there are no more items to discuss. Is there a motion to adjourn the meeting? >> So move. >> All right. Thank you, Wendy. Is there a second? >> Second.
>> All right. Uh, discussion, discussion, discussion. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. All right. We are adjourned.