District hears safety and technology budget plans as curriculum and security investments grow
Loading...
Summary
The board heard presentations on safety & security and technology program budgets that outlined training, camera/lockdown upgrades, managed IT transition, hall‑pass rollouts and cybersecurity measures that will shape next year’s budget priorities.
District safety and technology leaders briefed trustees on program budgets and investments that administrators say are aimed at strengthening day‑to‑day safety, emergency response and classroom technology.
Amanda Phil Somascola, the district’s safety coordinator, described expanded staff and contractor training, more AEDs and stop‑the‑bleed kits, exterior PA upgrades that tie into lockdown systems, additional cameras and door alarms in remote locations, and updated CRG (critical response group) maps shared with first responders. She told trustees recurring costs such as visitor‑management and camera servicing contribute to a roughly $22,000 increase in the safety code line.
“We increased training throughout the district — guards, safety monitors and secretarial staff received first aid, CPR, AED and Narcan training,” Amanda said, adding that the district is updating protocols after mid‑year changes to state law.
Benita Joy, executive director for technology and innovation, reviewed a multi‑year technology plan that shifts the district to a partially managed IT model, continues Chromebook and laptop refresh cycles, and adds systems to tie lockdown buttons, paging and notification together with a Cisco phone and lockdown integration. She described a move from an expensive Fortinet filter to LightSpeed filtering, 2‑factor authentication roll‑out, hall‑pass kiosks integrated with attendance systems, and planned penetration testing and backup/DR evaluations.
“Moving to a managed IT model helps triage and resolve tickets faster and supports our five‑year replacement plan,” Joy said. She noted that line‑item adjustments include software consolidation and an installment purchase agreement for hardware replacements.
Why it matters: Trustees heard concrete cost drivers for safety and technology budgets that will factor into the district’s overall spending plan. The items described affect day‑to‑day school operations, emergency readiness and classroom instructional capacity.
Next steps: Administration will incorporate these program budgets into the line‑by‑line budget review and answer follow‑up questions during the scheduled budget sessions ahead of the April board adoption and the May 19 vote.
