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St. Bernard schools tighten network security with ClearPass and 902 new wireless access points
Summary
Technology supervisor updated the board on ClearPass device authentication and the districtwide rollout of 902 new wireless access points funded in part by E-rate and ESSER, describing timeline, device controls and implications for insurance and maintenance costs.
The St. Bernard Parish School District is deploying ClearPass device-authentication software and replacing aging wireless access points to tighten cybersecurity and control which devices can join the district network, a technology presentation to the General Committee said on Feb. 11.
The administration’s technology supervisor told the board ClearPass allows the district to whitelist approved devices by MAC address, require guest presenters to request temporary access and block unapproved devices from joining the internal network. “ClearPass is a solution, a management platform that allows us to define which devices can access our network and which devices cannot,” the supervisor said, adding the system prevents foreign devices that might carry malware from connecting automatically.
The district also bought 902 new wireless access points using E-rate funding; the access-point replacement reached most classrooms and common areas in a rollout that concluded after a holiday installation window. The supervisor said the ClearPass rollout ran about five months (work began in July and continued to just before Christmas) and that access-point installation followed immediately after, leaving a few outstanding issues to be closed.
Board members asked about costs and insurance. A board member asked whether ClearPass is software and whether there is an annual renewal; the supervisor confirmed there is a recurring renewal fee but did not provide a dollar figure during the update. Trustees discussed how stronger security can affect insurance premiums and noted the administration also rolled out multi-factor authentication districtwide. The supervisor said the district uses a mix of E-rate funds and portions of ESSER grants for the projects and that the administration expects continued maintenance costs.
Administrators described the scale of devices on the district network—“maybe 15,000 total” devices was cited as a rough figure—and emphasized the risk of malware spreading when unapproved devices plug into network jacks. The supervisor said guest access is separated from the internal network so visitors have internet-only access and cannot reach internal applications. The board received the update as informational and had no formal vote on the projects at the committee meeting.
