GREENFIELD — The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools, drug and alcohol use among teenagers, and municipal and school budgets were at the forefront of student questions for legislators and elected officials last week.
On Friday, Greenfield High School students were joined by School Committee and City Council members, state Rep. Susannah Whipps and members of the AmeriCorps DIAL/SELF Youth & Community Services team for the school’s annual “Youth Engage with Legislators and Officials” forum, designed to encourage students to speak up on issues that matter to them. The forum was split into two segments: a “speed dating” portion where students got to meet and ask questions of different officials, and a topic-based portion where students and officials split into three conversation circles.
Artificial intelligence
Senior Holly Babineau said she’s seen students using generative AI to assist them in writing essays, and Google’s AI overview to get quick answers while researching, without checking sources.
“I think AI is very disruptive,” Babineau said. “It’s really destroying kids’ creativity.”
She expressed concern about what AI will do to her classmates’ ability to think creatively and its impact on younger students who have not developed research skills.
“People don’t really use it properly,” sophomore Charlee Vera-Fellows said. “For a lot of people, school is about grades, and AI can help you get the answers and get better grades. So they’re not really learning.”
Other students added that it’s difficult for students not to want to use AI when they see their teachers using AI to build lesson plans, and see materials generated by AI around the school.
“We even have AI posters in the school to promote the film fest,” noted junior Alice Wondolowski. “We’re using AI to promote art.”
When discussing possible solutions, students and School Committee members floated the idea of adding generative AI bans to the school policy or developing a class that students would be required to take on responsible AI use.
Drug and alcohol use
Students also discussed their concerns about drug and alcohol use by their peers and, in particular, the prevalence of e-cigarettes or vaping devices. Students shared that administrative crackdowns on vaping tend to ebb and flow, but typically, faculty will tell students not to vape and leave it at that.
“It’s very normalized,” sophomore Ella Rotkiewicz said. “There’s never action against it.”
Students shared that when action is taken to curb rates of student vaping, actions often just harm other students. They said the gender-neutral bathroom has been locked for weeks and that locking the bathroom does not actually prevent students from vaping, as they will find another place to do so; it just prevents students who need or prefer the private, gender-neutral bathrooms from accessing those spaces. They said locking these bathrooms cuts into student learning times, as students then need to walk farther to the bathroom near the main office, which has remained open.
Greenfield School Committee Chair Stacey Sexton and City Council President Lora Wondolowski joined Greenfield High School students on Friday to explain how school and municipal budgets are developed. Credit: MADISON SCHOFIELD / Staff Photo 
Greenfield High School students raised their concerns on the use of artificial intelligence in schools on Friday. Credit: MADISON SCHOFIELD / Staff Photo 
Greenfield High School students asked questions and shared their concerns on AI, drug and alcohol use, and municipal and school finances last week. Credit: MADISON SCHOFIELD / Staff Photo
Municipal/educational funding
The forum also provided students an opportunity to learn about how municipal and school budgets are developed and how property taxes work, as well as advocate for changes to the school’s budget, namely, increased Advanced Placement (AP) course options.
Babineau said she has taken several of the AP classes, but she wishes the school had more to offer, because applying to college is incredibly competitive and having more APs on a resume helps applicants stand out. She added that she would particularly like to see AP art options, as many AP classes are in subjects like math, science, language and history.
“It dims me as a student,” Babineau said.
City Council President Lora Wondolowski said the city and school budgets are limited by what can be raised through property taxes, and that in comparison to wealthier communities with many multi-million-dollar homes, Greenfield does not raise as much property tax revenue and does not have as much money to invest in the schools.
“You guys are getting a different education than students in eastern Mass,” Lora Wondolowski said. “We live in a town where the property taxes are not as expensive. Even though they’re expensive for us, they’re not as expensive as other parts of the state, and so they’ve got more money in their school districts.”
According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, for fiscal year 2026, the average value of a single-family home in Greenfield is $325,271, and the average single-family tax bill is $6,063.
School Committee Chair Stacey Sexton said that if property values and property taxes in Greenfield increase, it would mean more money for the schools, but it would also mean some people living in Greenfield would not be able to afford the increases and would be priced out of town.
“We want people here,” Sexton said. “If our property values went up to $1 million, it would force people out.”
Throughout the forum, students were encouraged to continue advocating for changes they wish to see in their school and in the greater community.
“You’ve gotta learn to climb the ladder of life,” School Committee member Elizabeth DeNeeve said. “If you want change, you’ve gotta advocate for it.”
