District IT reports major device deployments, cybersecurity upgrades and E‑rate applications

Hamilton School District’s technology team briefed the board on Dec. 16 about summer and fall IT work, progress on cybersecurity and federal funding opportunities.

Technology lead (Mister Miller, introduced during the agenda) said the team provisioned roughly 850 Chromebooks for grades 5 and 9 programs, replaced about 135 laptops and 80 desktops, and completed a projector/panel deployment at multiple sites. The district replaced about 51 aging security cameras to meet network video‑recorder standards. Staff also reported the vendor NEC announced end‑of‑service for the district phone system; the district purchased temporary phones to extend service while a replacement assessment is completed.

On cybersecurity, staff said they implemented recommendations from a federal CISA assessment, including network segmentation to isolate school networks and better protect against malware and ransomware; final segmentation hardware was due to be installed the week after the meeting. The district filed two E‑rate Category‑2 applications to replace switching equipment and to add additional Wi‑Fi access points for referendum projects; staff said Hamilton has roughly $593,000 in eligible costs before the program discount and is within procurement windows.

Board members asked about device repair volumes; staff said approximately 497 Chromebook repairs were logged this year (roughly 18–19% of ticket volume) and attributed many repairs to accidental damage. Board members discussed device lifespan, the pros and cons of using refurbished devices, and parental education on device care. The board approved the status report.