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D205 outlines MacBook rollout, PowerSchool attendance pilot, AI guidance and cybersecurity steps
Summary
District technology and instructional leaders told the board they are finishing a phased MacBook deployment for elementary teachers, piloting PowerSchool absence reporting in select schools, forming an AI committee at York High School and continuing cybersecurity upgrades including a districtwide camera and Wi‑Fi refresh.
At the May 20 Board of Education meeting, Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 technology leaders summarized a multi-year technology plan that includes finishing an elementary MacBook deployment, piloting a PowerSchool parent absence portal, expanding instructional technology supports and continuing cybersecurity upgrades.
Director Rudy Gomez described a phased MacBook Air rollout for EC–5 teachers: an initial pilot, a 210‑MacBook purchase for about half of elementary staff during 2024–25, and a final phase planned for summer deployment. Gomez said the platform change is expected to generate district savings of more than $150,000 across deployments and better align staff and student devices.
Instructional technology lead Nick Stoyes described classroom-embedded work: a teacher learning community (34 educators) and 66 learning walks focused on inquiry-based social-studies units; library media programming that integrates Project Lead The Way computer‐science modules; and partnerships with Elmhurst Public Library and Elmhurst History Museum. He highlighted that Amplify’s AI automated writing-evaluation tool is being used in grades 6–8 to score student writing drafts for focus, use of evidence and conventions, with teacher review of AI scores before final feedback.
Gomez described the PowerSchool parent-portal attendance pilot, introduced in August 2023 and piloted at selected schools; the district is evaluating results and considering full implementation for 2025–26. Administrative assistants piloting the module said parents can submit future-dated absences, include reasons, and reduce follow-up calls and manual entry.
On cybersecurity, the district described a phased set of actions begun in 2021–22 and continuing through 2024: password policies, multifactor authentication, moving the student information system to the cloud, Google single sign-on, a full penetration test, and adoption of passphrases. Gomez said the district has passed 700 cameras installed and will update camera software, replace three middle‑school CAD labs and refresh elementary Wi‑Fi access points in summer projects.
Board members praised the district’s proactive AI planning and asked about expanding the PowerSchool pilot; the administration said it is preparing for broader implementation in fall 2025 if pilot results support it. Stoyes said D205 has formed a York High School AI committee of 15 educators and administrators to finalize district guidance on AI use and classroom expectations.
