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Gilroy Unified board approves Securly classroom monitoring software after presentation and questions about parent access
Summary
The Gilroy Unified Board approved a one‑year classroom license for Securly to give teachers screen‑view and classroom control tools, with trustees pressing staff on training, early adopter access and whether a parent portal will be added later.
The Gilroy Unified School District Board on Thursday approved a one‑year subscription for Securly’s classroom module, a teacher‑facing software that allows real‑time screen views, tab monitoring and device locking in class, not to exceed $28,000.
District staff and a Securly representative described the tool as limited to in‑classroom use. "This is strictly for teachers when they're in the classroom," Austin Vierra, who presented for Securly, said, adding the product can show open tabs, lock keyboards and push lesson URLs to students' devices.
The board’s discussion focused on implementation. Maribel Giza, introduced earlier as the district’s IT director, said initial training will occur on the first staff professional development day and the district will provide on‑going support and short instructional videos. Giza also said the district plans to pilot early adopter accounts for staff before the July 1 license start date.
Trustees asked whether parents will be able to control or view filters at home. "At this moment, we will only implement the classroom module of Securly," Giza said, noting the parent portal and web‑filter modules exist but require network changes and further testing before the district would implement them.
Trustees also pressed on safeguards. Vierra said Securly follows industry privacy standards and listed compliance claims the vendor uses during procurement discussions. "We have SOC 2 Type 2 and California data‑privacy compliance certifications," he said. The district presentation noted the tool will integrate with the district's Google rostering and that student accounts must authenticate with the district domain for classroom sessions to appear.
After questions, the board approved the contract by voice vote. The purchase authorizes the district to begin implementation and teacher training; the district will report back through regular implementation channels.
The approved contract is for the classroom module only; any future decisions about parent‑facing features or additional modules will require additional review and potential contract amendments.
