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District IT director outlines Synergy rollout, new kiosk pass system and rising cybersecurity costs
Summary
Technology staff updated the board on year‑two Synergy implementation (mobile student view, kiosk check‑in), analytics/MTSS capabilities, and increased recurring cybersecurity costs driven by reduced federal funding and required district cost‑shares.
Marie Bachman, the district technology lead, presented the annual technology plan and a year‑two update on Synergy, the district’s student information system.
Bachman said the district launched two new Synergy modules this year — a mobile StudentView app and a kiosk view for tardy scanning — and that the kiosk issues a timestamped pass that identifies the student and target class. "As soon as they're through, the kiosk view, cell phones go away for the rest of the day," she said, describing how the system integrates with classroom admittance.
She detailed analytics and MTSS uses, saying analytics can produce timeline views and drill into at‑risk students to inform interventions, while cautioning the tool is not a precise causal instrument. On cybersecurity, Bachman said the district relies on the Center for Internet Security and MS‑ISAC for threat intelligence; federal funding for some MS‑ISAC services has ended, and the district now faces cost‑shares for certain detection tools. She said the district’s security rating remains in the 700s but warned recurring costs have increased.
Board members asked about district‑wide communication tools for parents and the possibility that proposed SNAP eligibility changes could reduce E‑rate reimbursement. Bachman said the district takes an annual snapshot for E‑rate reporting in October and that reduced SNAP eligibility could lower reimbursement rates; she also said the district is evaluating communication modules and the Synergy mail module remained an option.
The board and staff agreed to continue evaluating communications options and to monitor cybersecurity memberships and tool costs as vendor details finalize.
