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Upper Dublin committee recommends GoGuardian pilot, forwards purchase to September legislative meeting
Summary
The finance committee recommended the district adopt GoGuardian as its districtwide digital classroom management tool and forwarded a three-year contract to the September legislative meeting for final action; the proposal would replace broader use of Hapara, expand coverage K–12 and cost $8,142 annually plus a $1,500 implementation fee.
The Upper Dublin School District Finance Committee on Sept. 17 recommended the district adopt GoGuardian as its primary digital classroom management solution and sent the proposed three-year agreement to the district’s Sept. legislative meeting for final approval.
District technology staff told committee members the recommended contract would cover 4,071 students at $2 per student, for an annual cost of $8,142. A one-time $1,500 implementation and training fee was included in the proposal. Staff said the district’s existing Hapara subscription—used in pockets across the high school, middle school and a few elementary classrooms—expires in mid-October.
The recommendation was made after a stakeholder review that included teachers, principals, curriculum supervisors and technology staff. “A digital classroom management solution provides teachers with a digital classroom presence to keep students focused, engaged and supported while using technology for learning,” said Miss Yentzer, who presented the review and recommendation to the committee. The committee’s packet noted the district purchased 2,258 Hapara licenses last year at $5.85 per student and that GoGuardian would allow broader K–12 rollout while integrating with the district’s student information system.
Why it matters: proponents said the tool streamlines lesson delivery, allows teachers to push resources and “scenes” to student devices, supports small-group work and enables teacher‑to‑student messaging and logging for disciplinary or safety review. Board members raised privacy and scope questions: the committee heard that messaging would be teacher-to-student only and that district staff would configure the system to be active only during school hours and limited to rostered students. “It would only be teacher to student. There would be no student to student communication, and that is logged,” Yentzer said when answering questions about chat logging.
Several board members asked whether teachers can view student screens off campus or after school; staff said the district would configure the product to prevent off-campus or after-hours viewing except during sanctioned remote instruction days. Committee members asked for a demonstration to the education committee so educators could see classroom uses and the district said it would schedule a follow-up demo.
The committee moved the item forward to the Sept. legislative meeting so the board can consider final approval and timing for an October rollout and teacher training.
The committee packet included the vendor cost breakdown, implementation timeline and stakeholder evaluation notes. Staff said the annual cost would be within the district’s 2025–26 technology budget and, excluding the one-time implementation fee, represents a lower annual outlay than last year’s Hapara subscription while expanding K–12 access.
The board’s legislative meeting will take up formal approval of the three-year GoGuardian agreement.
