Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology And Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
IT director outlines repairs, cybersecurity plans and several cost-saving upgrades
Summary
District technology director Kyle DiMartino reported repairs and process improvements — reviving about 140 Chromebooks, closing 400+ tickets and identifying roughly $54,000 in direct device savings — and outlined planned phone, website and cybersecurity upgrades.
Kyle DiMartino, the district director who led the technology update at the April 16 meeting, said district IT staff and contractors have closed over 400 tickets since October and revived roughly 140 Chromebooks through parts cannibalization, cutting replacement costs.
DiMartino told the board he had initially written $45,000 in savings in the report but revised that figure upward during the meeting: "I have $45,000 written in the report, but uh this was written a little while ago. Um it's actually more along a little along the lines of $54,000." He outlined additional recurring savings from an upcoming phone-system migration to SIP lines, which he said will save about $286 a month (roughly $3,500 a year), and described other efficiencies from consolidating special-education software into Synergy.
On cybersecurity, DiMartino said the district’s insurance (PACE) and third-party partners require controls; WESD/local service contractors run frequent scans and maintain off-site backups. He warned the board that phishing attempts are increasingly AI-driven and said the cost to adopt more advanced AI-detection tools would be high for a small district, so the near-term plan emphasizes stricter email controls and staff training.
Planned work includes simplifying a sprawling district website (DiMartino said it currently has about 638 pages), improving Synergy reporting and transcripts ahead of graduation, ordering batteries to restore aging laptops, pursuing grants such as E-rate or the Cox grant for public-address upgrades, and piloting AI media-literacy sessions for staff and students.
Board members praised the savings and the operational work; one member characterized the aggregated savings as roughly $75,000 when combined with other efficiencies described during the meeting.
What happens next: DiMartino will continue rolling out Synergy report improvements, coordinate vendor transitions for the phone system, pursue grant opportunities, and schedule further staff training on cybersecurity and communications practices.
