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Board approves device‑tracking licenses for district computers, requires parent/staff notice
Summary
Trustees approved the purchase of Absolute (device‑tracking/remote‑wipe) licenses bundled with district device purchases but asked staff to immediately notify parents and employees that district‑owned devices can be located or wiped if lost or stolen.
The Scottsdale Unified School District governing board voted unanimously to approve the purchase of district device hardware and associated services using the Arizona cooperative contract, including Absolute device‑control licenses for a portion of the district’s mobile assets. The vote came as part of a consent item for multiple contract purchases.
What was approved and why District IT staff said Absolute has been purchased to allow the district to locate lost or stolen district devices and — for Windows devices in particular — to remotely wipe local data if the hardware falls into the wrong hands. IT staff explained Absolute helps with asset recovery and protects district data on laptops and staff devices. District staff reported they have deployed Absolute on staff and on certain student devices this year and said the software has been used to help recover devices and to provide forensic detail to law enforcement when necessary.
Board direction on notification Board members raised concerns that parents and employees were not explicitly notified when Absolute was added to district devices. Trustees sought transparency about the capability and about the district’s controls over who may access location or wipe functions. The board voted 5-0 to approve the purchase on the condition that the district provide clear notification to staff and parents that district‑owned devices have the capability to be located and remotely wiped, and to clarify what data is collected and how access is audited. District staff agreed to add notification to student technology signoffs and to employee technology acknowledgements and to provide a short disclosure in ParentSquare and employee communications.
Context and privacy controls IT staff said Absolute is used sparingly and primarily as an asset‑recovery and security tool; they described logs and access controls that record when staff access device location or wipe features. Trustees asked the IT department to provide a brief written description of the capability and the district’s audit controls so parents and employees can review how and when the capability may be used.
Ending: The consent‑agenda approval moves district purchases forward while the board directed staff to add explicit notifications and documentation for parents and employees.
