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Grants‑Cibola outlines new cybersecurity plan, E‑Rate pilot participation and draft AI policies
Summary
District technology staff presented plans to migrate help‑desk functions to a cloud Destiny platform, deploy a Sophos antivirus with 24/7 managed detection and response, pursue an E‑Rate cybersecurity pilot and bring draft student and staff AI policies back to the board.
Superintendent Widener and district technology staff briefed the Grants‑Cibola County Schools board on a multi‑part technology update at the March meeting, describing steps the district says will strengthen cybersecurity, streamline support and set rules for emerging AI use.
Isaac, the technology lead who presented the package, told the board the district will migrate its Destiny system to the cloud to gain an integrated help‑desk and inventory tool. “We’re implementing this new system that will streamline our help desk ticketing process and improve inventory tracking, ensuring faster response times and enhanced service management,” Isaac said.
Isaac also summarized a planned antivirus and monitoring upgrade: the district intends to deploy a Sophos solution that includes managed detection and response (MDR) and comes with security‑awareness training for staff and students. He said those tools will allow district technicians to collaborate directly with vendor analysts and improve patching and incident response.
The district said it was selected as one of three New Mexico schools to participate in a federal E‑Rate pilot focused on cybersecurity. Isaac described the pilot as a three‑year opportunity to apply for federal funding to reimburse cybersecurity investments and to position the district to receive additional support if awarded.
On policy, staff said draft AI‑use guidelines for students and staff are already circulating to trustees. Isaac asked trustees to mark items they support or return recommendations so the district can refine the student and staff AI policies before bringing a more polished proposal to the board.
Board members asked about prior vendor choices and procurement oversight; the presenters said the technology team vetted past and current options, and that the new MDR arrangement is intended to give the district more direct access and control. No vendor contract was approved at the meeting; trustees asked staff to complete procurement steps and obtain required quotes where applicable.
The board took no formal vote on a vendor at the meeting; the presentation concluded with trustees thanking staff for the work and asking for follow‑up details on costs and procurement steps.
