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District technology director reports on Chromebooks, phones, fiber and AI privacy concerns
Summary
The district technology report covered Chromebook procurement challenges, network and phone upgrades, E‑rate applications, bus Wi‑Fi, a pending switch to GoGuardian for filtering, and staff warnings about student data and AI tools.
Mercer County technology staff briefed the Board on a suite of ongoing and planned technology projects, including Chromebook purchasing delays and price increases, network and phone upgrades, E‑rate‑funding requests, and concerns about student data sharing with external AI services.
A technology staff member identified as John summarized priorities and recent completions: a district internet contract change to Zayo (reported to provide five times the previous bandwidth), completion of new security cameras and Wi‑Fi for athletic fields, and a Windows workstation refresh for high‑school computers. He said Chromebooks are in short supply and the same model inspected that morning was about $120 more than the prior year — a difference that would add roughly $40,000 for an order of 400 devices, the presenter said.
The district has begun moving toward cloud‑capable camera systems for the new elementary school and is assessing whether to replace an expiring vendor contract in July 2026. Voice over IP phone service is fully implemented districtwide and saves “at least $200 a month,” the presenter said, with only two analog lines remaining (elevators at the high school and athletic complex) pending replacement.
Planned projects include an E‑rate application to replace about 270 wireless access points (E‑rate reimbursement estimated at 85%), expansion of bus Wi‑Fi to 40 buses (36 routers already installed and four more requested), and migration to a single sign‑on system (Munis feeding Rapid Identity) by January 2026 for staff accounts.
The presenter described a planned switch to the state’s preferred web‑filtering vendor, GoGuardian, effective July 1. The change follows state direction and will require carrying forward classroom‑specific filter settings from the district’s existing product (Lightspeed or “LightSpeed” as used locally).
The technology report also highlighted cybersecurity priorities: continued phishing vigilance, suspension of stale accounts, ransomware mitigation and a specific warning about teachers seeking to let students use third‑party AI tools whose privacy policies do not permit student data. The presenter said some popular AI services are not designed for children under 13 and that data submitted to those models may not be removed; the district will evaluate privacy policies before permitting classroom use.
Board members were given a longer written report and invited to ask questions about funding timing, E‑rate approvals and device availability.
