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Petersburg schools outline three-year technology plan with cybersecurity upgrades and AI pilot
Summary
Petersburg's director of technology presented a three-year Technology Improvement Plan that includes server and wiring upgrades, automated account provisioning, deployment of CrowdStrike and Abnormal Security after a February cyber attack, WAN capacity expansion, and an AI-in-education pilot pending board policy alignment.
Petersburg City Public Schools presented a three-year Technology Improvement Plan on July 2 that aims to modernize servers, wiring, cybersecurity defenses and classroom technology while introducing a controlled pilot for artificial intelligence in instruction.
Director of Technology Monnique Yates said the division has completed a server fleet upgrade, automated provisioning for Google accounts and is rolling out Office365/PowerSchool automation. "We are now in phase four where we are automating our Office 365, PowerSchool and Raptor accounts," Yates said, explaining this reduces manual account provisioning for staff. Yates also said the division suffered a cyber incident in February and is strengthening defenses using CrowdStrike for endpoints and Abnormal Security for email protection.
Infrastructure goals include phased wiring upgrades from Category 5 to CAT6E to support higher throughput (planning for 100-gig capability in the long term), upgrading WAN capacity to 5 Gbps districtwide and 20 Gbps at Petersburg High (with Lakemont as a secondary internet path for redundancy), and a phased rollout of cabling and wiring across buildings through 2028. Yates said AI classroom tools are being coordinated with curriculum staff and will proceed after the board approves a related policy.
Board members asked whether wiring and other upgrades are budgeted; Yates and staff said wiring work will require separate budget approvals and that the district will seek funding and phase projects accordingly. The board encouraged staff to continue pursuing state/federal modernization grants and to coordinate outreach to legislators for larger modernization efforts.
