Technology director outlines $350,000 switch replacement, E‑rate cycles and rising AI/cyber risks

Technology Director Mollerson told the board the district manages more than 5,000 devices and a multi-year cycle of infrastructure upgrades supported in part by E‑rate funding.

Mollerson said, “We replaced all of the switching. That was a $350,000 project,” and explained the district’s classification as a 50% E‑rate district (half federal, half local match) and how E‑rate awards are spaced over five-year cycles for equipment such as wireless access points and switching. He described a recent wireless RFP and plans to phase wireless replacements over the next several years, and noted the district added a second fiber Internet connection as a backup.

On student safety and monitoring, Mollerson highlighted filtering and monitoring via GoGuardian and described routines for training, help-desk operations (600+ tickets annually) and a disaster-recovery replica hosted at the ESU to reduce downtime in the event of a major outage.

Mollerson also warned about AI and synthetic-media risks, showing a brief demonstration made with a newly released tool (referred to in the record as part of OpenAI’s ‘Sora’). He said such tools can produce quick, convincing video and urged continued attention to cyber defenses and parent education about device use.

No policy action was taken; board members asked clarifying questions and thanked the technology staff for ongoing operational work.