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District 211 reviews technology strategic plan, details iPad protections and cybersecurity measures
Summary
Chief Technology Officer Gary Gerson told the board the district is on track for Windows 11 migration and aligned with CIS security standards; board members pressed for clearer parent communications and noted that filtering works only on district networks.
Chief Technology Officer Gary Gerson updated the Township HSD 211 Board of Education on the district's technology strategic-plan targets and cybersecurity work, detailing device counts, software projects and the district's approach to student iPad protections.
Gerson told the board the IT department supports "nearly 15,000 users every school day," including "over 13,000" student iPads, and manages a large infrastructure of switches, firewalls and servers. He described four 2024–25 IT targets: migrate users to Windows 11 and Office 21, automate rentals and workflow processes, improve application-team collaboration with end-user managers, and implement a new version of Infinite Campus Messenger when it becomes available. On cybersecurity, he said the district has aligned endpoint imaging and group policies with the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmark.
The update matters because the district faces a growing cyber threat environment and an impending end to Windows 10 support. Gerson cited sectorwide increases in reported attacks — "129 attacks reported in 2022, 954 in 2023" — and stressed the combination of device scale and sensitive student and personnel data as reasons to sustain layered protections.
Board members focused on what protections exist on student iPads, how those protections operate off campus, and how the district communicates options to families. "Has the administration considered liaising with the Communications Department or Director in analyzing the efficacy of our protections...and sending it out to parents?" Board member Cavill asked. Gerson said staff could do that and described the existing materials given at iPad distribution and on district websites.
Board member Barron pressed on app and website blocking: "Can you talk a little bit more about...are they able to download TikTok on their iPad?" Gerson replied, "No. To that exact question, no. They're not. We control access to social media pretty closely," and explained the district uses category-based filtering supplied through the state's Cisco Umbrella service and local Palo Alto firewall rules to block classes of sites while on district networks.
Gerson also said the district does not provide students with an open Apple App Store. "The students don't have access to the Apple Store to download apps independently," he said. "We create a school app store and only put in approved apps." He added that the district also blocks many VPNs, acknowledging there are hundreds of such services in the market and that VPN-blocking is an ongoing effort.
Board members raised off-campus protections as a continuing concern. Gerson clarified that the district’s network filtering and the state-provided Umbrella service apply when a device is connected to district Wi-Fi: "what we have in place is only effective for students while they're on a campus network." For off-site use, he recommended parents apply additional parental controls available on the devices. Gerson said the district points families to Apple's K–12 education resources and a parental controls app when iPads are distributed and through school- and district-level communications.
Several board members urged a more proactive, digestible communications plan for parents, including opportunities for hands-on demonstrations and concise written or video guides. Board member Baron asked staff to consider parent-facing education on internet safety and device settings; Gerson and Superintendent Dr. Small agreed staff would pursue coordination with Communications and consider additional parent resources.
No formal board action was taken on the presentation. The board requested administration follow up with Communications staff on a parent outreach plan, and to continue work on Windows 11 migration, CIS alignment and other strategic targets.
The district said it relies in part on federal E‑Rate funding and state services (Illinois Century Network and DoIT) to maintain filtering and comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Gerson asked the board for continued support for staffing and resources to maintain the systems and respond to evolving threats.
Board members thanked the IT staff for their work and asked that the district report back with specifics on the parent outreach plan and any materials developed for families.
