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Technology department evaluation: Hillsboro R-III staff outline device counts, backups and staffing shortfalls
Summary
District technology staff presented a program evaluation that cataloged device counts, backup procedures and staffing needs; board approved the evaluation and asked about storage and replacement plans.
District technology staff presented a program evaluation and the board approved the assessment as presented.
Don, a technology department staff member, told the board the department currently supports “5,860 devices” including more than 4,000 Chromebooks, 750-plus computers and laptops, 300 tablets, 45 servers, 215 classroom projectors and other equipment. Don said the department has six staff members and a posted position to add staff to address coverage when roles at the high school and junior high change.
Don described the district’s data and continuity arrangements: local hosting of Infinite Campus with a locally hosted server and off-site backups, redundant virtual servers, and local plus cloud backups to speed restoration. He said the district plans to replace the Infinite Campus server in summer 2026 and to increase Internet bandwidth to 2 Gbps on July 1.
Board members asked about storage and physical security for technology equipment; Don said current Chromebook storage has been moved into the server room and that the district uses a shared junior-high storage space that is not temperature-controlled or clean enough for all devices. He identified analog security cameras at the junior high as an upgrade priority and said the phone system is roughly 10 years old and being monitored for replacement.
The board approved the technology program evaluation with no recorded opposition and asked staff to provide follow-up details on staffing, a proposed storage solution and timelines for server replacement and network upgrades.
Direct quote from the presentation: “Just those numbers…would be 5,860 devices that our department supports,” Don said during his presentation.
The district also reported ongoing cybersecurity training through Infosec IQ, including annual training and phishing tests that trigger extra training when staff click simulated malicious links.
The board recorded the program evaluation as approved and directed staff to return with implementation details, including staffing and storage solutions.
