Category: GottaKnowMedford

The Medford School Committee voted 6–1 Monday to adopt a new artificial intelligence policy for classroom use, formally approving guidelines that the district had already published in this year’s student handbook.

The guidelines don’t explicitly ban students from using AI to draft writing assignments, but any use of AI requires prior teacher approval and must be cited to avoid bias and misinformation. The policy bans students from entering personal information into AI systems and requires students and educators to document any use of AI.

The policy received its first reading Sept. 22, when committee members asked for clearer expectations when AI tools appear in student work. Committee member Erika Reinfeld said the updated version reflects concerns raised during the first reading.

“We tried to incorporate the feedback we got last time,” Reinfeld said. “This is taking into account the requested changes from students and others about natural environment, cognitive loss and the checking that it is both the students’ and the teachers’ responsibility to check this content.”

Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn noted new language tying all generative AI use to educational objectives, and highlighted the added references to critical thinking skills and the environmental impact of AI tools.

“Important for me is students should not use any generative AI tools without prior approval from educators or educational teams, and students must also properly cite all AI-generated content,” Lungo-Koehn said.

While other members raised no concerns, committee member John Intoppa cast the lone vote against the policy, saying he believes AI undermines learning.

“I appreciate all the work that has gone into writing this policy, but I personally still can’t get behind this,” Intoppa said. “Our goal is to teach processes and critical thinking, but the use of AI helps promote shortcuts that build unhealthy habits.”

He said generative AI raises significant ethical concerns and could harm creative and professional fields.

“I trust that our faculty and staff will do the right thing, but to me, I don’t see AI as something that belongs in the classroom as part of the learning process,” he said.

Intoppa also questioned the policy’s references to environmental impact, arguing the district should consider the energy required to utilize AI systems.

“A single search may seem small, but these systems rely on huge data centers that use significant energy and water for cooling,” he said. “We talk about going to a net-zero high school, but we’re not accounting for the behavior this policy could promote.”

Although Monday’s vote made the policy official, the same language has been in the 2025-26 student handbook since the start of the school year. Members acknowledged the district released the guidelines before receiving formal approval.

“I was surprised that this went into the handbook as soon as we discussed [in the previous meeting],” Reinfeld said. “Once it was in the handbook, we needed to codify it in a public forum…and I think we should vote on this tonight rather than push it to another meeting.”

Reinfeld added the policy will likely be revised. But as the handbook has already been open to the public, any updates would not appear until the next edition.

“Even if this is going to be amended, there are likely to be changes after the focus groups happen, and doing all of those together makes sense if we’re looking at a one-year review policy,” she said.

With additional changes expected in the future, Reinfeld said the task force plans to gather more input before making any updates, since the same language already appears in the handbooks.

“They want to set up focus groups with educators during department meetings, talk to the student council, a larger group of students and caregivers,” Reinfeld said. “They also want to look at what training educators need to make wise decisions about using AI.”

Sangmin Song is a senior journalism student. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

There’s a time machine just north of the Mystic Valley Parkway, right where you hit Medford Square.

It looks like a bar, but it’s actually part record store, concert hall, sandwich shop and pinball arcade. It’s everything you didn’t know you needed. What’s more – it’s where local bands want to play.

Ian McGregor originally imagined something a lot smaller, but it turned into much more. When he opened Deep Cuts in 2023, he just thought it would be cool to bring together all the things he really loves.

“From booking shows forever to working in kitchens, I just wanted to combine it all,” said McGregor. “This was kind of the end goal.”

Deep Cuts, at 21 Main St. in Medford, is a hub for vinyl, tapes and CDs that doubles as an independent live music venue where you can also go into the other room and play pinball or eat a sandwich.

It started as a pop-up deli in 2018. McGregor then turned it into a takeout sandwich shop in a West Medford storefront in 2021. In 2023, he opened Deep Cuts in Medford Square, with a bar, record shop, pinball room and concert hall that can hold 240 people.

It was an idea born out of doing something for the local music scene, McGregor said. He began booking indie shows with company Eye Design in 2010, after spending 20 years in the restaurant industry, and decided to combine the two things he knew the most about.

Serving local regulars is important, McGregor said, but it’s not just the customers he’s concerned about. Deep Cuts also stands as an initiative to keep local bands on the horizon, providing a consistent place for them to play.

“We try to get as local bands as possible, ’cause it’s their home,” he said. “Regulars is what keeps things going.”

For their support of the local music scene, Deep Cuts has been nominated for the Boston Music Awardsunder the Music Venue of the Year (under 250 capacity) category.

Founded in 1987, the Boston Music Awards honors artists, industry leaders and others involved in the local music scene. The awards ceremony takes place Dec. 17 at Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston.

Medford has several other nominees at this year’s Boston Music Awards. Check them out here.

The members of Declaw, a Boston-area grunge band that plays regularly at Deep Cuts, say they owe much of the band’s success to the place. They say they’re eternally grateful that a place like that can exist outside Boston’s zip codes, where venues are more competitive.

“It just goes to show how natural this place is,” said Declaw bassist and vocalist Jovani Villegas, who lives in Somerville. “What they do for the scene, and [what] they do to support us and make us feel like we have a home to celebrate our music, to celebrate our releases, all that stuff.”

Daniel Hastings began working with McGregor in 2018, at the sandwich pop-up, “to see how that would go,” McGregor said.

“The dream was always to stick with them until they accomplished this, basically,” Hastings said. “It was me and Ian, basically there [in West Medford] every day, making sandwiches together, having a blast.”

Deep Cuts keeps adding new things to keep the place fresh as the years come.

“It’s really cool to see Ian talk about this for over 10 years, and then to see it come together was amazing,” Hastings said. “We’re still building. We’re still figuring this out…It’s awesome to be part of it.”

Daisy Levine is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

The Medford School Committee reviewed community feedback on a possible reconfiguration of the city’s elementary and middle schools Monday night, while no one from the public came forward to comment.

The update advanced the district’s work on “Option 2,” a proposal that would shift all elementary schools to Kindergarten through grade 4, turn the McGlynn Middle School into a grade 5–6 school and move all grade 7–8 students to the Andrews Middle School.

Interim Superintendent Suzanne Galusi said any changes would not begin until the 2027–28 school year. A task force, which will be appointed in January, will examine whether Option 2 is workable, she said.

“The recommendation that we made during this meeting was to review Option 2 a little bit further, just to see the viability,” Galusi said. “This task force is just going to look at the viability of the plan and recommend a path, [and] no decisions have been made yet.”

Survey draws 160 participants

A total of 160 people responded to a districtwide survey sent out two weeks ago, including 115 parents and caregivers, 44 educators and one student

“Participants reflected strong interest in understanding how this plan supports students, families and long-term district goals,” Galusi said. “People really want to know what this looks like for students, families and the district.”

Five major themes emerged from the survey responses, reflecting what families and staff want the task force to study as it reviews Option 2, Galusi said:

Student transitions and developmental fit: Respondents asked how additional transitions would affect student belonging, mental health and learning. Many also questioned what fifth grade would look like academically and socially in a 5–6 school.

Specialized education: Families and educators stressed the need for continuity in English learner and special education programs, including whether support teams would move with students.

Space and capacity: Several respondents questioned whether Andrews can house all seventh- and eighth-grade students with full programming, especially as new housing developments are expected to come to Medford.

Logistics: Comments focused on transportation eligibility, bus routes, possible staggered start times and after-school options for fifth- and sixth-grade students.

Equity and community: Some respondents supported ending the lottery, while others raised concerns about losing school identity. Several asked about ensuring both middle schools are resourced equitably.

No public comment

The committee opened the floor for comment after the presentation, but no one spoke either in person or online.

Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said the survey was “a great start” and noted the task force will be appointed in January and begin meeting in February.

Committee member Erika Reinfeld said the task force should look closely at other districts that have shifted grade spans.

“I definitely saw in the data a request that the task force look at some case studies of other schools that have made similar transitions,” Reinfeld said. “Boston was mentioned, Arlington, Salem and Andover were the ones that I saw or heard from people.”

Galusi said she has already contacted several of the referenced districts to gather comparative information for the task force.

Once launched, the task force will work through the winter and release its findings in the spring. The School Committee will then decide whether to advance Option 2 or pursue alternative solutions to overcrowding and enrollment pressures.

“This is an early stage,” Galusi said. “We’ll keep gathering input and paying attention to what families are telling us.”

Sangmin Song is a senior journalism student. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

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One of the Boston Music Awards nominees can’t book any shows Sunday through Thursday — those are school nights. He promised his mom he’d make As and Bs, with a small exception for algebra.

Kobe Saperstein is an 18-year-old Medford High School senior. He’s also KSAP, a rapper who is nominated for a Boston Music Award for his music video “100 Miles.”

“It’s gotten really serious,” he said. “Ever since I’ve gone all in on it, I’ve revolved my whole life around it. Everything I do every single day is music.”

Founded in 1987, the Boston Music Awards honors artists, industry leaders and others involved in the local music scene. The awards ceremony takes place Dec. 17 at Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston.

Medford has several other nominees at this year’s Boston Music Awards. Check them out here.

Becoming KSAP

Saperstein was once a typical high school kid. He played on the basketball team and went to parties. He gave all that up to be KSAP.

Now, he wakes up and heads straight to school, no matter feeling tired from shooting content the night before. He then heads to the gym — not just to stay in shape, but to keep his mind clean and focused. His Saturday mornings are reserved for writing content and scripts for social media, and those take about four hours. Every two weeks, he releases a new song.

The BMA-nominated “100 Miles” video doesn’t look like it would star a kid who still waits on a report card. From models, money and sports cars to profanity and beer — which KSAP can’t legally drink — it’s a slick, professional piece of work.

Daron “D4” English, creative director at Boston’s AVARIA Studios, was shooting a music video in a restaurant when Sheri approached him.

“She came downstairs and was like, ‘You gotta listen to my son,’” he said. “She starts playing the music on the phone. And, mind you, this kid’s only 14. I’m like, ‘Oh! This kid’s only 14?’”

English reached out and shot the video for the song “Friends” while Saperstein was just making his way into high school (English also went to Medford High). He became his manager.

“I think a lot of students have other hobbies outside of school. Some are still trying to figure out what it is that they love,” English said. “Not that other kids aren’t special, but to know what you want, and nothing else matters in this world besides getting what you want [makes him special].”

English directed the BMA-nominated “100 Miles,” off of Saperstein’s debut record, “Didn’t Ask to Feel This Much.” They rented a car and went down to Rhode Island, back to Boston and close to New Hampshire. Over two days, they spent about 36 hours shooting the six minutes that would make it to YouTube. The video has hit 130,000 views.

Saperstein is so lucky, he says, to be the type of person people look at and say, “Wow, he just does what he wants.”

His mom, he said, is his biggest inspiration. Saperstein doesn’t have a dad in his life, and Sheri taught him everything he knows about determination, entrepreneurial spirit and visualizing your future.

But she still wants to keep him in check.

She made him give candy out to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. When he answered the door, though, the kids’ jaws hit the floor.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, my God, KSAP lives here!’” Sheri said. “It was so funny, just another notch, you know. This is my celebrity.”

She tries to be a sounding board for anything he needs. She plays devil’s advocate, teaching him how to process and receive criticism in a healthy way.

He can still pursue that music career as long as he gets those good grades.

“[I was] brought up in a household where my dad was a doctor, my mom was a teacher,” she said. “[My brother and I] wanted to skew from that path, and we weren’t allowed to do so…As a parent, I want Kobe to be able to do what he wants to do and not have to circumvent any of his dreams and put them on hold.”

If, in the end, he has to go with a Plan B, she says, she knows he’ll still thrive.

“He is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever come to know as a student,” said Heather McLaughlin, Saperstein’s favorite teacher at Medford High. “The fact that he is up ‘till, like, one in the morning doing music stuff and then he comes into school and he’s locked in…He’s motivated. He’s motivating and inspiring to those around him.”

McLaughlin said he doesn’t let the stardom get to him. He collaborates with other students, remains a team player and is a joy to be around his classmates.

“When I have a conversation with him, he’s wise beyond his years,” she said. “He’s really just grateful and humble about every experience he has in life and he always takes everything as a learning lesson.”

Even so, Saperstein said he walks down the halls and sees a difference. It may just be school, but it’s his first recognition of fame.

“I’m happy people around me get to experience it as well, because I live a double life,” he said. “You can do this, too. You can do whatever you want.”

It is a double life, he said, but “I’m KSAP every single day, every second of the day.”

“It takes dedication. It takes those nights missing out on a party,” he said. “I’m always going to get that experience, once I get it. It’s not a problem for me.”

He made sacrifices, he said, when he gave up some of those normal things about being a kid. Does he regret it? Absolutely not.

“I’m just very blessed to be able to be in a position to show people that you can do anything you put your mind to,” Saperstein said. “A kid from Medford isn’t supposed to be doing things like this.”

Daisy Levine is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

A new mural celebrating unity and migration has taken shape on Mystic Avenue, where Arts Collaborative Medford finished a large-scale work depicting people, animals and ecosystems coexisting in a shared future.

The artwork, painted on the front and side walls of 162 Mystic Ave., was unveiled at a public reception on Nov. 22.

The mural was created by Andres Duarte, the Mystic River Watershed Association’s artist-in-residence. Duarte, who works under the artist name Nxn, said he studied the Mystic River and the seasonal movement of wildlife before finalizing the concept.

“We focused on migration as an act of nature,” Duarte said. “We began to learn more about what is happening in the Mystic River, and we figured out that the migration of the herring fish is so important for the other animals and the equilibrium of the environment.”

Stretching about 55 feet across two exterior walls, the mural blends migrating species with local animals — foxes, birds and trees — arranged to show how all living things share space. The central figure, a warrior standing with a rabbit at its side, anchors that message.

“Humans need to be like warriors, and we wanted the kind of warrior that works with the animals,” Duarte said. “It’s a symbol of working together with nature, fighting for unity and for a better environment.”

For ACM Director Regina Parkinson, the project came together unusually quickly. When she and Duarte began discussing the mural, they realized the fall weather window was closing and decided to move fast to get the painting underway.

“We knew we were up against a weather deadline, and Andres said the last possible week he could paint was the week that he painted,” Parkinson said. “I trusted his vision so much that I didn’t think we needed much turnaround time for board approval, and everyone loved it right away.”

Duarte completed the painting in five days with fellow artist Erre, who worked alongside him on the wall and helped design the imagery and stencils. Although the painting was completed fast, the team spent far longer cutting more than 100 stencils used to transfer animals and shapes onto the surface.

“We liked to do longer sessions because there’s excitement, and we wanted to keep that kind of momentum,” Duarte said. “The stencil helped us do the labor faster, but the labor before the painting process was a lot as we used more than 150 stencils.”

Duarte said he has been struck by how many passersby have already stopped to comment on the imagery and message. He said hopes residents will see the wall as a symbol of belonging, whether they have lived in Medford for decades or arrived recently.

“You could be from different parts, but with art you can bring the community together,” he said.

Parkinson said the mural arrives at a moment when Medford is seeing new cultural activity alongside long-established traditions. She believes the work reflects a forward-looking chapter in the city’s identity.

“A lot of walls in Medford are capable of holding awesome art and we are a city that has a lot of older roots and status quo,” she said. “This piece shows a bright future for residents who believe Medford is for all of us.”

The mural will remain in place for the duration of ACM’s long-term lease at the site. Parkinson said the organization plans to continue expanding public art on and around the building, contributing more to Medford’s art culture.

“Public art is incredibly important toward shaping how people feel about themselves in the city and how people feel when they come to a city,” Parkinson said. “I can’t even begin to underscore the importance of things like this.”

Sangmin Song is a senior journalism student. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

The Medford School Committee voted unanimously Monday night to delay action on a proposal to reconfigure the city’s elementary and middle schools, opting instead to seek public input next month before deciding whether to move forward.

The Nov. 17 vote followed a detailed presentation from Interim Superintendent Suzanne Galusi, who said the proposal was only a starting point and the district needs to review its space data before taking any steps.

“This is not set in stone,” Galusi said. “We need to explore a bit more around the actual viability of this option, what it would take and how some deliverables may need to be scenario based, because it’s going to involve some level of renovation.”

Galusi’s comments came during a presentation on a district-wide space study by HMFH Architects, which identified uneven capacity across school buildings. The study outlined four long-term options for addressing those imbalances, including a grade reconfiguration that would shift students across buildings.

“We would recommend a further review of option two,” Galusi said. “It could effectively address immediate and long-term needs for the district, and minimize disruption to the greater community.”

Under Option 2, all elementary schools would serve Kindergarten through fourth grade, while the McGlynn Middle School would become a grade 5 and 6 building and the Andrews Middle School would serve grades 7 and 8.

The model was described as the approach most likely to balance enrollment across elementary schools and eliminate the district’s middle school assignment lottery.

“From an equity perspective, I’m very excited about Option 2,” said Paul Ruseau, secretary of the committee. “I’m excited that we will no longer have a class of students that doesn’t get the same choice other students get, and the same for our English Learners students.”

Other members cautioned re-configuring grades would affect staffing, transportation and specialized programming. Committee member John Intoppa said uncertainty around faculty impact was one of his biggest concerns.

“Are we expecting to retain all of our faculty, or will this lessen positions, bring up positions or keep them the same?” Intoppa asked. “I just want to get ahead of any rumor mill or anxieties, because when I hear this, that’s immediately where my mind goes.”

Other members said re-configuring grade spans would inevitably affect the district’s bus system, raising questions about new routes, timing and how families would adapt to the changes.

“Have we thought about what the costs will be for rerouting buses?” committee member Aaron Olopade asked. “That’s going to be a big conversation for a lot of parents, especially around timelines and how students’ schedules may shift more than we expect.”

Members added the district would need to closely examine how a grade shift could affect classroom programming, especially for students in special education settings. Committee member Erika Reinfeldt said any reconfiguration must account for the specific learning needs in those rooms and should not treat specialized spaces as secondary.

“I was a little bit appalled when you said the space company didn’t look at some of the special education spaces, and I really don’t want that to be an afterthought,” Reinfeldt said. “The type of learning happening in those classrooms, including the student need, the teacher need and the community need, has to be part of this work.”

Vice Chair Jenny Graham said the district should clearly notify families that a reconfiguration is being discussed, noting parents should have an opportunity to raise questions before the committee considers any changes.

“We should let the public know we are considering a reconfiguration,” Graham said. “Families need space to tell us what they want the task force to consider before it begins its work.”

After discussing the proposal, the committee agreed to pause and revisit the discussion at its Dec. 1 meeting, where families will be invited to share their views before the district conducts a deeper review.

“There’s a whole slew of things we have to decide and a whole slew of opportunities to evaluate,” Graham said. “What I don’t want is parents feeling like they need to come in on Dec. 1 and say, ‘We haven’t thought this through.’”

Sangmin Song is a senior journalism student. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

In 2019, three developers proposed building affordable housing projects that would add more than 1,000 apartments to Medford in the midst of a housing crisis.

Nearly seven years later, construction has barely begun on two of them, and the third has been withdrawn after what the city says were contentious meetings with the developer.

Gotta Know Medford’s review of the proposals, as well as interviews and emails with city officials, revealed the projects were held up by the city’s claim that it had protection from a state law that lets affordable housing projects bypass certain local regulations.

City officials “basically demanded, through the court process, a seat at the table” so they could negotiate amenities they wanted the project to include, such as green space and bike lanes, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said in an interview.

The city’s claim that it had “safe harbor” from the state law — which relied on a calculation of affordable housing stock in Medford that was ultimately ruled erroneously by a state board — took years to resolve.

Construction projects typically undergo local reviews to ensure they comply with zoning regulations before they’re built. But a state law known as Chapter 40B, the Comprehensive Permit Law, allows developers to forgo some local zoning regulations if less than 10% of the housing in town is considered affordable or if less than 1.5% of a community’s total land area zoned for residential, commercial or industrial contains affordable housing. Housing is considered affordable if it costs no more than 30% of the household’s income.

Three developers proposed 40B housing projects in Medford in 2019.

The Davis Companiesmet with Medford city officials on Jan. 15, 2019, about a planned development at 970 Fellsway, a former box factory. The project would create 278 apartments.

Davis filed an application for funding to the state subsidizing agency, MassHousing, in November of that year.

Mill Creek Residential hand-delivered a letter to MassHousing on July 30, 2019, for a project at 4000 Mystic Valley Parkway that would create 400 housing units, according to its permit application.

Combined Properties proposed 378 apartments at 280 Mystic Ave. in 2019, but has since withdrawn its application, according to the city.

None of the three developers would speak with Gotta Know Medford for this story, nor would MassHousing.

Medford’s zoning board rejected all three projects.

“It wasn’t that we [the zoning board] didn’t want the housing,” Lungo-Koehn said. A 40B project is “only allowed if you have under 10% affordable housing,” she said, “[and] we had more.”

The mayor said the city rejected the projects not because it didn’t want more affordable housing, but because it wanted a say in how the projects were built and what “community benefits” they included.

The developers challenged the city’s numbers. In October 2020, Davis and Mill Creek filed a joint motion to the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development saying they believed Medford was ineligible for safe harbor status.

The DHCD ruled in favor of the developers. The Medford zoning board appealed that ruling to the Massachusetts Housing Appeals Committee in October 2023.

The developers made their own calculations to counter Medford’s claim that more than 10% of its housing was affordable, and the Housing Appeals Committee could not find proof that the city met the housing minimums and denied it safe harbor status.

A year later, Combined Properties challenged the city on the same grounds over its proposal for  280 Mystic Ave. The DHCD ruled in the developer’s favor, Medford appealed, and the Housing Appeals Committee issued the same ruling: “The undisputed facts show that the City of Medford has not achieved the general land area minimum safe harbor.”

After the Housing Appeals Committee ruling, the Medford zoning board approved the Mystic Valley Parkway and Fellway projects and issued building permits this summer. Both are now in the early stages of construction. The proposal for Mystic Avenue has been withdrawn.

Gotta Know Medford spent weeks trying to get an explanation from city officials about why the projects have taken so long. City spokesperson Steve Smirti eventually provided a written statement from Lungo-Koehn saying the city had been negotiating with the developers to get the community benefits it wanted.

Alicia Hunt, Medford’s director of planning, development and sustainability, provided a statement by email blaming the developers for taking too long.

“It wasn’t that the city delayed GIVING the permits,” she wrote. “The Applicants took a long time APPLYING for the building permits.”

Hunt also placed some of the responsibility on the state, citing the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, or MEPA, an environmental review process that she said can take as long as 18 months.

But Tara Smith, press secretary for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (formerly DHCD), said, however, that the state couldn’t be entirely responsible for a project taking that long: “That [MEPA] wouldn’t explain going back to 2019.”

At a press conference in September at 970 Fellsway, Gov. Maura Healey said she wants to streamline some of these regulations to fast-track housing development.

“This is about cutting red tape,” Healey said, which would speed up review times from a year down to 30 days for housing projects across the state.

None of the Medford officials cited the long dispute over the city’s safe harbor claim as a reason for the projects’ delays.

“At the time (2020/21) the City believed it qualified for Safe Harbor status and went to court to defend that designation,” Smirti wrote in an email to Gotta Know Medford. “The state ultimately ruled against the City, so negotiations renewed with these developers.”

Roberta Cameron, a local housing advocate, said she is concerned about the state of affordable housing in Medford.

“I’ve talked with many people. The problems are growing more intense,” said Cameron, who volunteers with Housing Medford, a group of affordable housing activists. “Medford has been very slow to enact policies that address affordable housing needs.”

Cameron posts items about affordable housing anecdotes daily on Housing Medford’s Facebook page, in hopes that any anecdote — good or bad — will lead to change.

“We need more housing,” she said. “We need to make housing more affordable, and we need more consumer protection to support both homeowners and renters who are trying to live in the homes in Medford, and we need to do all of those things at the same time.”

Daisy Levine is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.