Technology budget largely flat as district plans $900,000 renewal for 1‑to‑1 devices

The Pittsford Central School District’s technology director, Matt Wachowski, briefed the Board on the 2025–26 technology budget and key projects, saying the overall technology budget is relatively flat while the district plans major device and infrastructure work.

Wachowski said the department supports Wi‑Fi, servers, interactive panels, printers, phones, and instructional technology across the district and closes thousands of help‑desk tickets annually (the presentation noted 8,600 closed tickets this year). He reported a typical network reliability of about 98.2% and described staff capacity of roughly 20 full‑time employees including technicians and instructional technologists.

On planned purchases, Wachowski said the 1‑to‑1 device renewal (grades 6 and 9 and a subset of elementary students) is about $900,000. The district also plans teacher devices and interactive flat panels to complete a multi‑year project, and network switch upgrades at several sites (Sutherland, Calkins Road, Transportation Maintenance and Food Service), some of which are E‑Rate eligible. Wachowski said the technology reserve (a voter‑approved savings account) and categorical state aid for hardware and software help offset budget pressure; the technology reserve developed in 2014 is being drawn down and the district created a separate instructional technology reserve last year expected to last another ~10 years.

Wachowski described a focus on cybersecurity, automating workflows, and improving device‑configuration efficiency to reduce long‑term replacement costs. He said most recent budget increases reflected right‑sizing for the 1‑to‑1 initiative and some contractual services.

Board members had the opportunity to ask follow‑up questions after the presentation.