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Public raises PowerSchool privacy concerns; Humble ISD pledges review and identifies $3M in new technology funding
Summary
A public commenter urged the board to address student data privacy linked to PowerSchool; trustees said they would investigate. Separately, the district’s technology committee reported $2 million to modernize CTE equipment and more than $1 million to buy roughly 2,000 Chromebooks and 70 carts to improve device ratios this fall.
A public commenter told the Humble ISD Board of Trustees the district should place PowerSchool and student-data security on the agenda after national reports of breaches and litigation involving the company and its products. The board acknowledged the concern and said it would review the matter; the technology committee delivered a separate update identifying immediate funding to improve classroom technology.
Scott Ford, introduced as a former teacher and author, told trustees he had previously raised security issues with Schoology and PowerSchool, referenced class action lawsuits and a high-profile data breach, and asked why district officials had not placed the vendor on a future agenda. Ford urged the board to discuss the vendor at the next meeting.
Board members responded that the public comment did not fall on deaf ears. Trustee Scarfo said the district would “look into and address what can be done.” Trustees noted the district’s existing security and visitor systems (Raptor and interactive badges) and said they would seek updates from administration and the technology team.
At the technology committee update, administration reported that Humble ISD has identified funding to modernize instructional technology this fall. The district allocated about $2,000,000 to update or replace equipment in CTE classrooms and labs — items include new desktop computers and Chromebook carts for journalism, broadcasting, engineering, business and health science courses, among others. The technology team also identified more than $1,000,000 in funding to purchase roughly 2,000 Chromebooks and more than 70 carts. Administration said these devices should arrive this fall and that the investment will leave the district with at least 85 devices per 100 students district-wide (0.85 devices per student), with 27 campuses already at a 1:1 ratio.
Trustees emphasized they had explored grants and philanthropy but said the district used available internal resources to meet immediate needs. The board asked administration to present a fuller plan to the public at the October meeting.
No formal action on vendors or procurement was taken; the board recorded the public comment and directed staff to follow up on security questions. The technology investments were described as funded from district resources identified by the chief financial and technology officers and programmed for fall deployment.
