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RSU 04 technology director: cybersecurity grant complete, MLTI Chromebook rollout and NSF-funded drone STEM program coming
Summary
Technology director Norma Jean Odette told the board the district completed a cybersecurity grant and audit, will pursue cybersecurity insurance in July, is rolling out new MLTI Chromebooks to ninth graders, and will launch an NSF-funded drone STEM program at no cost to the district.
Norma Jean Odette, the district’s technology lead, reported that the district’s cybersecurity grant work is complete and that the district has finished a related audit and is addressing the auditor’s findings. "Our cybersecurity grant is complete," Odette said, adding that the district has a draft data incident response plan and will start cybersecurity insurance coverage in July, with the policy to be reviewed by insurers and then presented to the board in August for final approval.
Odette said the district upgraded switches and access points across schools using E-rate funding, moved equipment from Oak Hill High School to upgrade smaller schools, and will receive MLTI-provided CTL Chromebooks for incoming ninth graders with no impact to the local budget. She described adding cybersecurity-awareness training to mandatory staff training and listed upcoming projects including securing servers and backup tapes at central office and upgrading payroll servers to supported operating systems.
Odette also previewed a National Science Foundation-funded drone "Take Flight" STEM program that will provide curriculum and kits at no cost to the district. "It's funded by the National Science Foundation," she said, describing kits with multiple drones and free lesson plans intended to support STEM learning among students across the district.
Why this matters: the technology investments and cybersecurity measures reduce operational risk for district systems, while the MLTI device rollout and NSF-supported STEM programming are examples of external funding and partnerships that expand student access to technology without adding local tax burden. Staff will return with vendor documents and the proposed cyber-insurance package for board review this summer.
