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Byram Hills board adopts 2026'29 technology plan, highlights cybersecurity and AI guidance
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Summary
The board approved a three'year technology plan and annual data privacy report after a presentation from Director of Technology Kevin Badati that emphasized phishing training, data minimization and guidance for generative AI in schools.
The Byram Hills Central School District Board on April 21 adopted a three'year technology plan (2026'29) and accepted the district's annual data privacy report after a presentation from Director of Technology and Professional Learning Kevin Badati.
Badati told the board that schools are "a target rich environment when it comes to cyber security," and outlined steps the district will take to tighten safeguards, train staff and students, and reduce unnecessary personally identifiable information in systems. He described an ongoing phishing simulation program with about 475 participants and said the fall rate for simulations dropped from about 7.5% in August to roughly 1.25% by March, while staff reporting of suspicious messages rose from about 5% to 14%.
"We are a target rich environment when it comes to cyber security," Badati said, arguing that training and simulated exercises allow the district to correct risky behavior before a real incident. He also described a campaign to remove "zombie data" ' older data that has no operational value but increases exposure risk ' and plans to deploy automated tools to find publicly shared documents and dormant accounts.
Badati flagged generative AI as an emerging security and instructional issue and said the plan includes an explicit human'in'the'loop approach: technology will augment instruction, not replace the educator. The plan also sets goals on infrastructure availability, data fluency to support teaching (including MTSS integration and better data warehousing), and a software rightsizing review to remove low'value purchases made during the pandemic.
After discussion, the board voted to adopt the technology plan and the annual data privacy report. Administration said the plan will be submitted to New York State as required and that staff will continue to roll out expanded phishing training, with student inclusion scheduled within the next 12 months as the rollout expands.
The board thanked Badati and staff for the work and recognized the plan's emphasis on both security and instructional support.
