Decorah School Board hears update on artificial intelligence, athletic schedules

By Roz Weis,

Members of the Decorah School Board agreed artificial intelligence isn’t an issue that’s going away, and the board said the time to address the technological trend is now.

School Board President Cindy Goodner said she attended a session on AI at the Iowa Association of School Boards’ annual conference last November.

“In this new world we are living in, the pace that technology is developing is staggering,” she said. “Our students need to leave Decorah Schools and enter the world with some knowledge of AI.”

The school district approved the second reading of its policy on the use of AI during Monday’s meeting.

Athletic schedules

In other business Monday night, the board heard a report from administrators regarding scheduling of future athletic events.

Decorah Schools will compete as independent, effective at the end of this academic year, after unsuccessfully seeking affiliation with other athletic conferences. This academic year marks the final year of Decorah’s participation in the Upper Iowa Conference — Decorah has been a member of the conference for decades. Last fall, a Iowa Department of Education’s meditation team denied a petition for Decorah to be admitted to the Upper Iowa Conference. The Department of Education’s director also denied a follow-up appeal after an October hearing.

Decorah Athletic Director Adam Riley said scheduling athletic events is challenging, but he said he has seen some promising responses as he navigates schedules with schools across the state for the 2025-26 academic calendar.

Riley warned the board the scheduling issue could result in increased expenses for future activities.

“Be prepared for some more travel and less home events,” he said.

Full article available in the January 16 Decorah Leader.

 

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