Bridgewater-Raritan's Superintendent Robert Beers and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Jones explained the changes to the AI Gifted Program at a March 17 Board of Education meeting. The change is tied to district grade shifts planned for 2026-2027 and to how the current program operates. Students in AI are accelerated in grades two through four, then returned in fifth grade to the same cohort as other students in advanced classes. Jones said the district has fewer than 70 students in the AI program at the primary level and that the program costs $512,000 per year in transportation and personnel. Current AI students will remain in their neighborhood schools, with current students automatically eligible for placement in a gifted and talented cohort.