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Technology director outlines equipment refresh and cybersecurity upgrades; district to install next-generation firewall
Summary
District technology director described device inventory, a planned Chromebook refresh, new firewall and security software (CrowdStrike), and recommended network upgrades; trustees praised planning and asked staff to pursue phased refresh options and federal E-rate discounts.
The district's technology director briefed the board Sept. 23 on staffing changes, inventory and planned infrastructure upgrades.
Key points: - Personnel: a long-time employee recently retired and the district promoted an internal candidate to network administrator and elevated a tech-support coordinator to provide backup network administration. - Inventory and refresh cadence: the district maintains roughly 3,500 devices (student Chromebooks and staff laptops) and aims for a five-year refresh cycle; this summer the district purchased about 390 Chromebooks to replace devices approaching five years of age. - Network/security upgrades: the district will replace an end-of-life firewall and core switch during the fall break with next-generation hardware (vendor: FortiGate) to support a full 5Gbps internet circuit instead of the 1Gbps cap imposed by older gear. The director said the new firewall and switches will improve throughput and security features. - Security tools and practices: the district has enabled multi-factor authentication for mission-critical accounts, instituted annual cybersecurity awareness training for staff, and deployed CrowdStrike (next-generation endpoint protection) across machines. The district also moved from an older web filter to Lightspeed and continues to audit user accounts and least-privilege permissions. - Connectivity considerations: some campus links use microwave/over-the-air point-to-point connections; the district is evaluating fiber to sites for long-term reliability and noted that E-rate federal discounts may cover a portion of ongoing monthly costs.
Trustees praised the planning and asked staff to phase hardware replacements by priority and to explore phishing-test services as budget allows. The director said the new firewall installation is planned for fall break and that CrowdStrike and other protections are already deployed on endpoints.
Ending
The board expressed support for the upgrades and asked staff to return proposed multi-year refresh and funding plans that incorporate E-rate discounts and cost-benefit scenarios.
