Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Abilene ISD details network, device growth and cybersecurity efforts; federal cyber pilot awarded
Summary
CTO Carrie Owens reported on network capacity, device inventory and cybersecurity efforts: 80 Gbps fiber, roughly 27,000 supported devices, deployment of CrowdStrike, simulated-phishing training and a federal cyber pilot grant to expand student-account protections.
Abilene ISD Chief Technology Officer Carrie Owens gave trustees a detailed status report on the district's network, devices and cybersecurity work, warning that lifecycle and contract renewals will require planning in the near term.
Owens said the district currently manages about 293 network closets and 688 network switches, 25 physical servers hosting about 150 virtual servers, and roughly 80 gigabits per second of fiber capacity to schools. The technology department supports approximately 27,000 "touch" devices (Chromebooks, laptops, tablets) and has closed nearly 10,000 technology support requests in 2024–25. Owens said the district has deployed about 5,000 new Chromebooks since August and added 175 Chromebook carts to increase classroom access.
On cybersecurity, Owens described recent investments and training: the district deployed a new firewall and CrowdStrike endpoint protection, enabled auto-encryption for emails containing personal data, and runs simulated phishing campaigns. In a two-week simulated campaign Owens described, about half of simulated emails were opened; of those, roughly 80 people clicked links and 850 people reported the message as phishing, yielding a roughly 3.5% phish-prone rate for that campaign. Owens also said Abilene ISD was among a small set of U.S. districts to receive a federal cyber pilot grant to support student account protections through Google Education Plus and phishing education.
Owens warned that several technology contracts and licenses will need replacement in the next 12–36 months (North NOC internet provider contract expiring June 2026; wireless access licenses expiring 2027; phone system aging past vendor support) and said the district will use E-rate reimbursements and other sources to cover a portion of replacement costs. Trustees thanked technology staff for responsiveness and recommended continued planning for device and infrastructure refresh cycles.
