Gateway School Board approves property assessment settlements

The Gateway School Board in Monroeville has approved two property assessment settlements. The decision was made unanimously this week. The first settlement involves One Monroeville Center, a 10-story building on Northern Pike. Built in 1984, it has 101,665 square feet. The property owner appealed the assessment for the 2025 tax year. An appraiser valued the building at $11.175 million. After negotiations, the board agreed to settle on an assessed value of $8.3 million, which will not require refunds for the 2025-2026 school year. The second settlement is for a multi-story office building located at 300 Oxford Drive. This building has about 90,966 square feet and was sold in October 2023. Both the previous and current owners requested an assessment appeal for the 2022-2025 tax years. The board negotiated a refund of $183,464.26 for the 2022-2024 tax years. In addition, District technology coach Troy Ulewicz spoke about the benefits of artificial intelligence in education. He attended a training program with staff from 20 nearby school districts, focusing on how to utilize AI in classrooms. Ulewicz highlighted the importance of using AI appropriately in education. Gateway plans to test a program called SchoolAI. This software allows teachers to control a bot that creates a virtual learning space for students. SchoolAI aims to personalize learning, save time, and enhance student engagement. It can also help English as a Second Language students by communicating in their native languages.