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McGuffey IT favors BrightArrow PowerSchool plug-in as Blackboard Connect is phased out
Summary
District technology staff recommended replacing Blackboard Connect with BrightArrow (PowerSchool-integrated) to preserve daily contact updates and add secure document transfer; board members questioned vendor security and implementation risk after regional ransomware incidents.
Superintendent Dr. Oberg introduced a technology update after the district learned Blackboard Connect is being phased out. Director of Technology (Mr. Wilson) told the committee the administration evaluated three options: the vendor-supplied Messages XR (BrightArrow), BrightArrow (PowerSchool integration), and Apogee/Thrillshare. He recommended BrightArrow because it integrates directly with PowerSchool and supports secure document transfers, simplifying nightly contact imports and allowing documents such as report cards to be sent securely.
Board members asked pointed security questions after hearing about a county ransom incident. One member asked whether the district has enough protection "to keep from being hacked into like the county was not too long ago." Mr. Wilson described multifactor authentication, Microsoft defender tools and an existing cybersecurity insurance policy; he said his team and the vendor conduct assessments and that the PowerSchool plugin reduces cross-system exposure compared with a separate system. "That connection is a little antiquated at this point... BrightArrow solution actually sits right in our PowerSchool instance," he said.
The committee discussed tradeoffs between an integrated solution (less cross-system complexity) and vendor-side risk; Mr. Wilson said he will dig into vendor technical specifications and implementation controls and present a final recommendation for the board to consider.
