Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Technology team outlines new access points, device counts and filtering; board asks how blocks and monitoring work
Summary
The district technology team reported hardware and security upgrades — new wireless access points, replaced servers, Chromebook refreshes and a planned parent-communication deployment — and explained how filtering records blocked attempts; board members pressed for details on damage handling, alerts, and allowed content.
The Dinwiddie County Schools technology team provided a comprehensive update on infrastructure upgrades, device management and content-filtering practices, answering board questions about how the system handles damage, blocked content and parental concerns.
Technology staff described recent work that included replacing roughly 250 high-powered wireless access points (with more than 380 deployed districtwide), installing new network switches at Midway, Southside and Sunnyside, and refreshing about 650 fourth- and fifth-grade Chromebooks as part of an ongoing device replacement schedule. Staff said the district supports over 4,500 Chromebooks and more than 10,000 total devices across schools and departments and has refreshed three servers and multiple high-school labs to support advanced software needs.
Presenters also highlighted non-classroom connectivity projects such as greenhouse monitoring, added connectivity at athletic complexes, and remote monitoring of food-service freezers to prevent spoilage.
On security and filtering, staff said they have enabled multi-factor authentication for sensitive portals (Keynet) and tightened VPN security. A new web filter (Dell product) includes student-wellness features and has been running all year. Asked about a dashboard screenshot showing "20,634 blocks," the presenter explained that a filter "block" counts attempts that were prevented, even when the user did not reach the destination. Alerts for attempts are routed to school administrators and designated staff so they can follow up with students when needed.
Board members asked how device breakage is handled. Technology staff said the district uses an accident-protection process (handled through "Worth") and that when devices are reported broken, a replacement is issued immediately and the damaged unit is repaired or processed through the claims system.
The team also previewed a parent-communication and engagement platform (ParentSquare) scheduled to deploy April 7, which will centralize the website, mass-calling, secure documents and other communications.
What the board asked for: clarity on monitoring and parental concerns about students accessing games and non-educational content at school; staff said administrators receive alerts and can follow up directly with families or students. The district acknowledged no filter is 100% effective and encouraged parental engagement alongside school controls.
