To: Asha Riley
From: Steve Rippl
Date: May 15, 2025
RE: Tech Department Report
As the school year is winding up, we’re helping as needed for the State testing that has begun, we’ll be assisting with streaming the various end-of-year ceremonies at the buildings, and we’re helping staff gather student data together as they plan for next year. This is in combination with the constant background work of keeping our existing systems running smoothly, and gradually expanding as needed (for example, the new North Fork portable has just been cabled and equipped to connect to our network).
Plans for the summer have been in place for some time. We’ll be installing more interactive TVs at Columbia, the Middle School, and possibly Yale (with our maintenance department’s assistance). We have Christenson Electrical coming in to assist with extending our security camera system at Columbia, North Fork, and the Middle School. We’ll be cycling Chromebooks for 5th grade and checking/repairing 9th grade devices as needed, upgrading software and applications, cleaning projector filters, and all the usual summer activities.
More work will go into the KWRL Portal as we build out a student referral system within it that will allow them to let go of their subscription to SWIS, as well as giving them better control over their data and how to share it with the other Districts. We’ll also be improving our own data dashboards in Sips, and continuing to refine the new WCC attendance system.
A large part of next year will be about AI. We’ve been dipping our toes into the AI waters this year and have found it to be beneficial for increasing staff efficiency, but there are still many questions as to how best to utilize it with students, and how to best prepare them for a future where AI is much more prevalent. We’re looking at our foundational teaching of Digital Literacy and Citizenship across the district in order to try to make sure all students get a solid understanding that we can build upon, and we’ll be running staff training in August on these topics.