JACKSON TWP — As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, Seneca Valley superintendent Tracy Vitale said she wants to teach students to use it responsibly.

According to Vitale, there currently are no policies regarding AI in any of the 501 Pennsylvania school districts, so as AI’s presence expands, she’s aware of concerns, including that students could cheat with tools like ChatGPT.

Rather than rid classrooms of AI, the superintendent said Monday, Feb. 12, she wants the district to use the tool responsibly.

“We have taken the stance that locking down certain tools does not guarantee kids are prepared for the future,” Vitale said.

She said the school has been discussing AI and its use in classrooms for more than a year. Last December, Dr. Joseph Yun, a computer science professor from the University of Pittsburgh, visited the school to speak about the subject.

“Many large school districts in the United States blocked it,” Vitale said. “We’ve been trying to look at how to use it, and how to teach children to responsibly use it.”

Moving forward, Seneca Valley weekly will conduct meetings with director of technology Sean VanScoyoc to discuss policies and procedures regarding AI. Vitale and assistant superintendent Matthew McKinley will attend these meetings, among others.

Also at the Monday meeting, the board approved two new grant applications. The first requests $1,000 for students to create scale models of Anne Frank’s house. The other asks for $2,100 to create a hands-on experience that would investigate pine cone ecosystems.

Director of buildings and grounds Randy Miller announced the newest all-star staff award winner for the month: high school custodian Diane Taylor.

“Diane always maintains a positive attitude and willingness to help others at any time, and always with a smile,” Miller said.

Athletic director Heather Lewis said, “There’s no way the athletic department could do what we do without having a great team, and Diane is an invaluable and in my mind, irreplaceable team member.”