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Hardy County Schools highlights CTE gains; applies for cybersecurity and safety grants
Summary
District CTE leaders reported a fivefold increase in reported economic impact and student recognitions; technology staff described a cyber grant and a COPS grant application to fund backup servers, firewalls, phishing training, cameras and radios to improve cybersecurity and campus safety.
Career and technical education leaders and technology staff told the board the district’s workforce and technical programs posted notable results and that the district has applied for grants to bolster cybersecurity and campus safety.
Jessica Markwood reported more than 200 attendees at a recent awards ceremony honoring 103 students who received CTE recognition. She said 39 students earned NOCTE college credit recommendations, 10 students met the governor’s workforce credential cut score, and four top seniors met higher combined standards including attendance above 95 percent. Markwood said the program’s estimated positive economic impact to Hardy County rose from about $62,000 last year to roughly $317,000 this year.
On technology, Markwood said the district applied for a cyber grant (closed in April) that would fund a Barracuda backup server to replicate central-office servers, a Fortinet firewall with antivirus and a FortiPhish package to run safe simulated phishing emails and training. She also reported staff submitted an application for a COPS grant to fund new camera systems and radios for several campuses, and said device-management improvements after a district shift to iPads and keyboards cut tech tickets by roughly 70 percent and reduced device recovery times dramatically.
Board members and staff discussed next steps for grant awards and device deployment; Markwood said the technology team will continue refining system tweaks and report back on any awarded grants and procurement timelines.
