Marietta Board of Education member Chris Fennell shakes elementary student Henry Dye's hand during the monthly board of education meeting Monday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Marietta City Schools Superintendent Mary Schaeffer discussed ways in which the district could utilize artificial intelligence in the classroom during the monthly board of education Monday evening.

During her curriculum and district-wide updates, Schaeffer presented ideas about training students on how to properly interact with AI and utilize it to strengthen their education in and outside of the classroom.

“I’m presenting this to you because as we’re opening up this door together and having these conversations, I’d like to get a committee together,” she said. “We want to make sure that as we’re implementing the policy we’re providing the support necessary for our staff and out students.”

She said there are different kinds of academic AI programs such as MagicSchool designed specifically for curriculum building and educational tools that meet individual students’ needs.

She described how it could use what it knows based on what teachers and students have told it to curate specialized curricula.

The Marietta High School boys basketball team is recognized for their championship title during the board of education meeting Monday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

“MagicSchool AI is already working in many districts … but what I’d like to do is take a closer look,” she said. “They (MagicSchool) help to create those guardrails which protects our students and is also guidance for our staff.”

She said going forward, it’s something a committee of faculty would be looking into before fully implementing.

The board meeting also included district-wide updates about athletics, curriculum and community engagement. Schaeffer said multiple employees have taken it upon themselves to join community organizations and make connections.

The board briefly discussed the status of Harmar Elementary School and the steps that would need to be taken to finalize who is in control of the property.

“It’s going to take a tremendous amount of research that needs done,” said Board President Cody Parman. “We probably need to further that conversation with the city.”

Marietta Elementary School Principal Brittany Schob, right, presents the Focused and Fierce award to student Bentley Barnes during the board of education meeting Monday evening. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Board member Russ Garrison said it’s not necessarily about finding the up-to-date, official property title but rather which entity is going to decide they don’t want the property and give any potential rights to either the school, city, state or even federal level if it went to that point.

“If the city has a claim to it, we can hand over our interests to them … we would give any right that we have to that property within those boundaries,” he said.

He said then the city could argue with the state if the state argued a claim for it and so on.

“Through all that history, we can figure it out by giving somebody else all of our interest in it,” he said.

Parman said he told Marietta City Council the district wanted to complete the district-wide assessment before determining any interest in Harmar Elementary. According to Parman, there are multiple entities who have expressed different interests in the Harmar Elementary property. Further research remains underway.

Focused and Fierce student winner Charlie McKitrick holds up his award and gift bag during the Marietta City Schools' Board of Education meeting Monday. Washington Elementary School Principal Kristine Schoeppner, left, and district Superintendent Mary Schaeffer, right, stand beside him. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com

April’s Focused and Fierce Awards:

*Dominic Hardie, Marietta High School presented by Garret Davis

*Bentley Barnes, Marietta Elementary School presented by Brittany Schob

*Henry Dye, Phillips Elementary School presented by Kristi Lantz

*Charlie McKitrick, Washington Elementary School presented by Kris Schoeppner