Finance committee approves Huntress security contract, audit extension and $855,125 Chromebook quote
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Summary
The Finance & Operations committee on Jan. 12 approved a two‑year managed security services agreement with Huntress ($81,900/year), extended audit services with Zonkowski Axelrod LLC ($40,300 with 3% annual increase), and accepted a CW/CDW Chromebook quote of $855,125 as part of the district’s long‑term device replacement plan.
The Mill Creek Township School District Finance & Operations committee approved several procurement and budget items during its Jan. 12 meeting, including a managed cybersecurity service, an audit-services extension and a large Chromebook purchase tied to the district’s long‑term replacement plan.
S2 introduced a two‑year Velocity/Huntress managed security services agreement described as a modern managed cybersecurity platform providing continuous threat detection, identity protection, automated incident remediation and SIEM/log management. The board recommended approval “for 2 years contracts starting 07/01/2026 at a cost of $81,900 per year,” S2 said; the motion was moved, seconded and passed by voice vote.
Pat Dean and other administrators explained the change replaces the district’s current antivirus (Cylance) with a more comprehensive service that includes 24/7 human review of alerts, automated incident remediation and a centralized log (SEIM) for reporting and vulnerability identification. An administrator noted Huntress had helped stop an attack earlier in the year in the township that demonstrated the benefit of 24/7 monitoring.
The committee also approved extending audit services with Zonkowski Axelrod LLC for years ending June 2028 at $40,300 in the first year with a 3% annual increase. S17 described the firm as the district’s longstanding auditor and said the three‑year extension reflects continuity in preparing the annual comprehensive financial report.
On technology procurement, the committee voted to accept a CW/CDW quote totaling $855,125 for Chromebooks and related device replacements for third, sixth and ninth graders and for staff laptops as part of the long‑term replacement cycle. S1 noted the quote was time‑sensitive and valid through the 20th of the month; rising component costs prompted expedited approval, the administration said. The motion to accept the quote passed by voice vote.
Other finance items approved included accounts payable and payroll reports, donor acceptance and a package of federal Title grant amounts (preliminary consolidated federal grant for Title programs of $1,764,464) and ParentSquare smart sites and school‑based access billing agreements (setup and annual amounts were presented). The committee moved these items to the Jan. 26 full board meeting where final approvals and formal votes are scheduled.
Public commenters asked whether the district used bidding processes or co‑ops for the large contracts. District staff replied that co‑ops and solicited quotes were used where appropriate and that Velocity is the regional reseller for the Huntress product; the annual cost shown on the agenda was $81,900 per year.
