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Board reviews technology budget calls for AI plan, cybersecurity audits and continued Promethean roll‑out
Summary
The Rye City School District presented its proposed 2025–26 technology operating budget, detailing infrastructure upgrades, AI guidance and a phase‑2 NIST cybersecurity audit by Redpoint. The board discussed device replacement cycles, software cost increases and plans for Promethean boards and SALTO locks.
Caitlin, technology staff, presented the Rye City School District’s proposed 2025–26 technology operating budget on March 25, outlining infrastructure upgrades, cybersecurity work and new curriculum supports for artificial intelligence.
The presentation covered network rewiring completed at the high school and middle school, a planned cabling rollout for two new wings at Osborne and Midland, and ongoing device‑management work that images “over 2,000 devices” each year so machines are ready for the next school year. Caitlin said the district moved its web filtering to a new platform, implemented multi‑factor authentication for staff Google Workspace accounts over the summer, and migrated iPad management to a new environment supporting digital art initiatives.
Why it matters: The technology budget underpins classroom instruction, security and administrative systems. The superintendent and board said the investments aim to keep classroom tools current while protecting student and staff data as AI tools enter schools.
Key presentation points
• Infrastructure and classrooms: District contractors rewired the high school and middle school over the past summer, upgrading cabling to Cat‑6a and relocating server closets out of classrooms, Caitlin said. That work enabled server and closet upgrades and informed wireless “heat map” testing to guide future access‑point placement.
• Classroom technology: The district is installing Promethean interactive panels in classrooms. Caitlin said the district installed roughly 20–25 boards this year and estimates “several more years” before district‑wide coverage; she said the high school alone has “probably over 200 spaces that need to be covered.” The presenter emphasized boards are put in classrooms after instructional and facilities review, not simply for blanket deployment.
• Device cycle and help desks: The technology office said it will begin a desktop replacement cycle and replace mobile devices for incoming grades (fifth grade Chromebooks and incoming sixth‑grade devices). The district runs faculty, student and parent help desks and said the student help desk is “packed every day.”
• Cybersecurity and audits: The district is engaged in a phase‑2 cybersecurity audit with vendor Redpoint, described as a NIST‑based assessment of documentation, procedures and penetration testing. Caitlin said recommendations should arrive in the coming weeks and the district will plan implementation and a potential phase‑3 review.
• AI and professional learning: The technology committee — “over 25 members,” Caitlin said — produced draft AI guidelines this year. The district is launching an AI institute for staff this summer, adding AI to library/media lessons and electives, and intends to produce a multi‑year strategic plan that houses work already under way. Caitlin described the strategic plan as a way “to house all the information in one place” and to sequence professional learning and classroom integration.
• Data systems and PowerSchool changes: The technology team reported automation gains with PowerSchool rostering and course requests: middle‑school course requests now flow from PowerSchool instead of a Google Form. The vendor plans an administrative interface facelift and a new graduation‑tracking planner the district intends to pilot with the high‑school counseling office.
• Software and budget pressures: The proposed operating lines include higher software and durable‑goods amounts. Caitlin described a roughly 12% budget increase for software overall (which covers instructional, business and facilities software), driven in part by new subscriptions and the expanding field of AI education tools. She said the technology committee evaluates tools and limits purchases to a small set that meet district needs.
Board discussion and questions
Board members asked about the district’s goal for Promethean coverage, compatibility and replacement cycles; Caitlin said product choice favored longer lifespan and broad compatibility with other platforms. Members pressed on PowerSchool changes and whether parental interfaces would change; Caitlin said the planned changes are primarily administrative and should not affect student/parent workflows at present. The board asked about the low response rate to New York State’s Digital Equity survey; Caitlin estimated a 5–10% response rate.
Quotable: “It takes a really large team to do everything that we do day in and day out,” Caitlin said, thanking instructional coaches, engineers and facilities staff for work on device imaging and installations.
Budget context and next steps
Caitlin said the technology operating lines support infrastructure (wiring, closets, wireless), software subscriptions (including evaluated AI tools subject to Ed Law 2‑d review), and durable materials for device replacement. The board did not vote on the technology budget at the March 25 meeting; the proposed figures feed into the district’s overall 2025–26 budget adoption process.
Ending: The technology committee will present the AI guidelines to faculty in April and the district plans to return with specific contract renewals and implementation plans as line‑item renewals occur in July.
