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Technology teams outline levy-backed infrastructure projects, E‑Rate savings and support metrics
Summary
District technology leaders reported on data-cabling upgrades, E‑Rate savings, device inventory and help-desk performance. The presentation described levy-funded work to future-proof networks and expand classroom infrastructure.
Director of Technology Operations Kyle Olsen and his leadership team briefed the Kent School District Board on technology operations, support services and levy-funded priorities during the March 26 meeting.
Olsen introduced assistant directors Ed McAlpine (technology infrastructure) and Amy Bourne (technology support services). McAlpine described core infrastructure work — networking, data center and cloud services, voice and identity access management — and explained the district is replacing legacy copper telephone circuits that were at risk as carriers retire analog services. He said specialists are installing specialty lines with cellular backup for elevator phones and fire-panel connectivity where necessary.
McAlpine and Olsen outlined a district data‑cabling capacity improvement project focused on secondary schools (phase 1 completed for some sites) and planned elementary‑school work later. The district leverages the federal E‑Rate program to supplement district funds and reduce technology costs; staff reported the program has saved the district nearly $6 million to date with another funding year underway, and the district also used Emergency Connectivity Fund dollars during COVID to acquire devices and mobile broadband for buses.
Amy Bourne reviewed help-desk metrics and device inventory: about 36,000 computers, roughly 1,300 iPads and more than 1,700 interactive boards are in service; the team manages approximately 28,000 tickets per year. The three-person help desk averages a sub-two-minute queue time and resolves most tickets in fewer than four days; the first 30 days of school generate the heaviest volume.
Bourne previewed upcoming work funded by the levy, including a 1:1 device refresh for staff and teachers, an iPad refresh for assistive-technology students, Promethean board and document-camera upgrades and a migration of Xerox copiers to a new server. On cybersecurity, staff described application control deployment and an AI-powered help‑desk pilot to improve self‑service knowledge and faster ticket routing.
Board members asked about backup power for critical network closets and legacy device support; staff said uninterruptible power supplies sized for each wiring closet plus battery-backed specialty lines provide limited run time during outages, and staff are coordinating with facilities for HVAC and other building systems as they modernize.
Olsen thanked the board and the community for levy support and said the technology department’s projects are intended to provide reliable, equitable access to instructional technology and to reduce long‑term costs through infrastructure upgrades.
