Technology director reports phishing attack, 5,000+ devices on district network and plans for cameras, firewall and E‑rate work

Steven Hopper, presenting for the district technology department, told the Dallas Center‑Grimes Community School District Board that the department is managing an uptick in phishing emails, supports more than 5,000 devices on the district network and is planning several infrastructure updates including security camera installations, a firewall replacement and the second phase of a federal E‑rate project.

Hopper described a phishing incident the week before Thanksgiving in which attackers sent messages impersonating district staff. He said passwords of affected accounts were changed and two‑factor authentication remained in place; the district found "no evidence of compromised accounts." Hopper added: "We 100% expect another attack just before winter break." (Steven Hopper, district technology staff.)

Why it matters

The district's technology decisions affect classroom instruction, student data protection and capital planning. A successful phishing or ransomware attack can disrupt instruction, expose confidential student data and impose unplanned recovery costs. Hopper told the board the district is balancing near‑term incident response with longer‑term replacement and upgrade planning.

What the technology department reported

- Device and network scale: Hopper said the district regularly sees "5,000 plus devices on our network," including student devices and personal devices for staff and contractors. Device lifecycle planning uses a roughly four‑ to five‑year rotation for Chromebooks and other student devices.

- Ticket trends and service: The help desk ticketing volume is up roughly 13% year‑over‑year, which Hopper said reflects improved ticket submission by staff rather than a proportional workload increase. The department reduced reopened tickets by about 4%, a metric Hopper said shows improved first‑time fixes.

- Cybersecurity incident: Hopper described a phishing campaign that attempted to impersonate Superintendent Scott Bloom. He said the district locked affected accounts, reset passwords, and relied on two‑factor authentication to protect accounts. "No evidence of compromised accounts," Hopper said, but he warned the board to expect additional phishing attempts timed to busy school periods.

- Security cameras and grants: Hopper said the district has taken on responsibility for security camera systems; he expects a more comprehensive interior and exterior coverage across buildings, and said the work is funded with safety grant money.

- Infrastructure and E‑rate: The district will proceed with the second half of its wireless access‑point replacement through an E‑rate project that qualifies for a 60% discount given the district's free/reduced rate and rural classification for some buildings. Hopper noted that if building classifications change at the next census, the discount rate could change.

- Planned capital work: The department will replace the district firewall this year (a "pretty big expense," Hopper said), cycle out older network equipment, and put surplus devices and equipment up for sale or buyback. Hopper said some older Chromebook models are out of rotation and may be kept only for parts.

- Procurement risks: Hopper warned that potential tariffs and global chip supply issues could raise Chromebook and device prices; vendors are encouraging earlier orders but the district's budget commitments and purchasing cycles limit immediate buying.

Board questions and context

Board members asked whether phishing campaigns generally target specific data (Hopper: they target student/confidential data and sometimes use disruptive messaging) and whether large‑scale device purchases should be accelerated in anticipation of price increases (Hopper: the district keeps some devices in reserve for parts and follows a multi‑year rotation; some models are unsupported).

Ending

Hopper said he will provide follow‑up communications to staff about phishing awareness and that business‑case and procurement work on the firewall and device refresh will continue into the next budget cycle. The district plans to use a mix of E‑rate discounts, safety grants and bond/levy strategies to fund larger capital items.