Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Edtech Cybersecurity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Technology presentation: phone system migration, multi‑factor rollout and continued cybersecurity emphasis
Summary
The district’s information‑systems leader outlined a 3.4% technology budget increase focused on a phased migration to Cisco phone systems, multi‑factor authentication rollout, E‑rate‑funded wireless work and continued device replacement and cybersecurity programs.
The district’s information systems and compliance office presented its technology budget priorities on Feb. 19, emphasizing cybersecurity, device replacement and infrastructure upgrades.
Dr. Bartavillas (assistant superintendent for information systems and compliance) described four budget groupings — instructional technology, data processing, network/cybersecurity and hardware — and said the overall technology request was modestly higher than the current year (about a 3.39 percent increase). Key operational priorities include a migration of the district phone system from an aging Asterisk installation to a Cisco call‑manager platform, a continued rollout of multi‑factor authentication for staff and plans to expand MFA to instructional staff, and use of federal E‑rate funds to refresh wireless infrastructure in selected buildings.
Bartavillas said device replacement plans remain on schedule with a multi‑year replacement cycle for classroom flat panels and student devices and that the district recovers value from retired devices by securely wiping and, when appropriate, reselling them through approved vendors. The technology office highlighted ongoing cybersecurity work via a layered (“defense in depth”) approach, external risk assessments tied to the CIS/NIST frameworks, participation in federal intel‑sharing communities (for example, CISA), and a phishing‑campaign program that had reduced staff and student click rates to approximately 4 percent.
Instructional initiatives include continued integration of New York State computer‑science and digital‑fluency standards and expansion of “digital den” labs and STEAM activities; the high school student help desk has grown to 20 student workers and is used as both a technical support resource and a work‑study opportunity.
No procurement vote was taken; departmental budget requests will be included in the superintendent’s recommended budget later in the process. Bartavillas summarized the work as preparation for both student learning and security resilience.
