Rochester Public Schools is launching a new Artificial Intelligence Chatbot on its Referendum website to help answer questions about the 2024 Ignite Student Learning Referendum.
The district was approached by Mani Thavasi, an RPS parent who is also the CEO of TRBHI (pronounced "tree-be"), a Rochester-based technology company with a global presence.
"I was part of a couple of local referendum meetings recently and learned about the challenges that our school district faces and its importance this November 5," says Thavasi. "As I was uncovering the content, it quickly became apparent that there is a lot of information to be processed to your specific situation and make an informed decision."
Thavasi offered RPS his company's services free of charge. TRBHI's goal was to empower the RPS community with an AI-based chatbot built to provide unbiased, factual information about the referendum.
"In addition to the other formats of information we have provided to the public, this chatbot, titled VoteSmart RPS, is another tool we are utilizing to ensure that the public receives accurate and timely information about the referendum," says RPS Superintendent Dr. Kent Pekel. “There is a lot of information and misinformation available about the referendum, and it can be overwhelming to dig through it. Our hope is that this tool helps the community cut down on the time it takes to find the factual information they are looking for.
Thavasi will showcase the chatbot tool at tonight's School Board meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. The tool will also launch today at 5:30 p.m. at www.rochesterschools.org/referendum.
###
About Rochester Public Schools:
Rochester Public Schools, located in Rochester, Minnesota, has the seventh largest enrollment in Minnesota, covers a large part of Olmsted County, and extends into Wabasha County. The district’s pre-kindergarten through grade 12 program serves approximately 17,500 students in sixteen elementary schools, four middle schools, and three comprehensive high schools. The district also offers various alternative schools, six districtwide programs, and an online school. Rochester Public Schools' educational program is designed to reach all students.
About TRBHI
TRBHI has been recognized by INC Magazine four times in the last seven years as one of the top 5000 privately held fast-growing companies in the nation. For 2024, it was ranked 2340th nationally and 37th in Minnesota. TRBHI is a pioneer in the digital transformation space, providing technology services to healthcare, telecommunications, and retail industries with cloud and AI solutions. They have recently launched AI agents and tools for small businesses.