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Milford School Board narrows data-governance plan to strengthen staff cybersecurity
Summary
The Milford School Board approved a one-item change to its data governance plan to extend security standards to staff-facing systems and align district practice with recognized cybersecurity assessment or certification standards, citing state guidance and recent sector breaches.
The Milford School Board on May 19 approved a targeted revision to its district data governance plan that expands security oversight beyond student-facing apps to include staff-used systems.
The change, presented by Mr. Morse, asks the district to align its plan with nationally or internationally recognized security-assessment or certification standards and to continue using data-privacy agreements for K–12 online-service providers. "Our goal now is to strengthen our data security when it comes to what staff is also using whether student data is involved or not," Morse told the board.
Board members pressed for clarity on the scope and whether major systems such as PowerSchool would be affected. Morse said PowerSchool would not be shut off; it already has a data-privacy agreement and SOC 2 Type II compliance but had experienced a breach tied to a third-party contractor. "They are now using two-factor authentication on that system," he said.
Moderator moved the change to a vote; the board approved it unanimously (4–0). The district will next work to map which staff-facing applications require additional controls and which assessments and certifications the revised plan will reference.
The vote comes amid national attention to K–12 cybersecurity: Morse noted the district's accounts had accessed roughly 700 third-party apps historically and that the administration had narrowed the immediate review list to about 100 apps, with a smaller core of 20–30 higher-use services to prioritize.
