South Western School District

A Tradition of Excellence

Technology Department

South Western School District provides a robust network to meet the technology needs of all stakeholders.

The Technology Department is responsible for the acquisition, installation and management of all forms of technology in use throughout the district, including hardware, software, networking, telecommunications, and security with an annual operating budget of $1.4M. The department consists of a Director, Network Systems Specialist, and four full time Technicians.

Wireless access is available throughout every district building. Our building to building connection consists of a wireless point to point connection from the admin building out to each of the remote buildings. We have an underground fiber connection from the Admin building over to the High School.

Teachers and Administrators have a district-owned laptop and all office personnel have desktop systems. Students in grades K - 12 have district issued Chromebooks. Students in grades K and 1 have classroom carts of Chromebooks. We have traditional computer labs in the High School Tech Ed department for graphic arts, in the High School Business department for CAD and Business Applications, and in the Middle School Tech Ed department

We have a replacement cycle for most of the technology used throughout the District. Students will get a Chromebook in Kindergarten and use that until 5th grade where we will replace that device. They will keep that device until 9th grade where that device is replaced. Upon graduation, or if they leave the District the device is to be returned. In order to keep systems current, we have a replacement cycle for staff computers where their computer is replaced every 5 years. Network File servers and network storage are cycled every 4 years. To maintain these cycles of replacement, each year we post a Technology Equipment bid to purchase 1,200 Chromebooks, Chrome OS Management, and carrying cases, 90 staff computers (laptops and desktops). We utilize e-rate funding to cycle our network switches, network access points, and uninterruptible power supplies.

Over the past year, the District has implemented several cyber security protection measures to help keep our network safe and secure for all network users. We have a content filter that will keep users out of harmful sites. We have a network firewall that keeps questionable traffic off our network. Last spring we implemented a patch management system that will keep our system up to date to avoid threat actors from gaining access via outdated software. This fall we implemented an endpoint protection system that monitors all of our systems and will protect us against computer viruses, malware, and ransomware. A few years ago, we implemented a phishing training program to help educate our users on how to detect potential harmful emails that make there way into our inboxes. This program has been very helpful in reducing any threat due to malicious emails.

We have a printer contract with Doceo where they maintain the printers and send us replacement toner as needed. We had an aging fleet of printers and for the price we were paying for replacement toner, we could replace all of our printers, have them serviced, and get replacement toner.

All instructional areas are equipped with technology to assist in the instruction of the students. The following hardware and software lists show breakdowns of supported technology in the District.

Hardware Summary (Fall 2023)

• 4,600 Student Chromebooks
• 650 Staff Computers (Desktops and Laptop)
• 190 Student Computers (Labs and Library)
• 214 Classroom Cameras for remote learning
• 43 Computer Carts for Elementary Classrooms
• 189 Tablets
• 191 Classroom Document Cameras
• 397 Classroom Projectors
• 154 Interactive Whiteboards (eBeam)
• 77 Printers through Doceo
• 33 Phone switches
• 123 Network Switches
• 40 Uninterruptible Power Supplies
• 10 Physical Network Servers
• 38 Virtual servers
• 255 Security Cameras
• 7 Visitor Management system kiosks
• 76 District-wide access control system
  
  
  
  
  District-Wide Software
• Bus Routing – BusBoss
• Communications - School Messenger (Migrating to Apptegy)
• District Internet Firewall – SonicWall
• Email and Document Collaboration - Google Workspace for Education
• Financial Software – CSIU
• Internet Filter and Classroom Screen Monitoring – Linewize
• Learning Management System – Canvas
• Library Automation - Follett Destiny
• Online Payments – RevTrak
• Student Information System, Special Education, Nursing – Sapphire
• Telephone System – Avaya
• Virtual Meetings – Zoom
• Visitor Management & Security - School Gate Guardian
• Web site - Intrado (Migrating to Apptegy)
  
  

Protection Plan

South Western School District recognizes that with the distribution of Chromebooks to support customized learning and increased access to learning opportunities, the priority is to protect the investment by both the District and the Student/Parent/Guardian. We encourage all families to consider purchasing the Optional Protection Plan.

An optional non-refundable one-school-year protection plan is available for district-owned electronic devices (laptops). The following are the costs of the plan:

• Student cost (not on free or reduced lunch) - Before September 30, the plan will cost $25 for a single student and $50 for a family (more than one student). After September 30, the amount will increase by $10 to $35 for a single student and $60 for a family (more than one student).
  
  
• Students on a reduced lunch plan - $12.50 (no family on reduced lunches will pay more than $25). After September 30, the amount will increase by $5 to $17.50 for a single student and $30 for a family.
  
  
• Students on a free lunch plan based on income do not pay for the policy for a student in the household, but they still must submit the application to participate.

For each of the plans outlined above - The first repair will be fully covered, the second repair the plan will cover 50% of the costs, and the third repair all costs will be charged to the student. After the third repair in a school year, other restrictions will apply, including, but not limited to, losing the ability to take that device home for the remainder of the school year. Any repair totaling under $30 will be fully covered by the plan.

Please note: Theft, loss, replacement charging bricks, cords and cases are not covered through this plan. Unpaid STUDENT account balances that are 30 or more days past due may result in a loss of school privileges for the STUDENT, at the sole discretion of the Administration.

User Misuse Not Covered by Optional Protection Plan
Students will be responsible for the entire cost of replacement or repair for district-owned electronic devices (laptops) damaged through active or reckless misuse, abuse, or intentional damage.

District-Owned Electronic Device (Laptop) Optional Protection Plan for the 2022-2023 School Year
The fiscal year for the Electronic Device Optional Protection Plan begins on August 23, 2022 and ends on July 31, 2023. The deadline for purchasing the Protection Plan is September 30, 2022. Protection Plans purchased after September 30, 2022 will be at the increased amount as outlined above. Students enrolled after September 30, 2022 must purchase the Protection Plan within 14 days of the enrollment date or be subject to the increased amount as outlined above.

When considering if purchasing the Optional Protection Plan is right for your students; during the previous School Year the average repair cost was approximately $90.00. We only charge for parts that are being replaced, we do not charge any labor costs for the repair.

How to Enroll
You can enroll in the Protection Plan online with RevTrak or fill out the paper form and send it to the District Office. The link for the paper form is in the Document section - Student Device,  at the bottom of this page.

Cyber Safety

South Western School District utilizes LineWize by Family Zone as its Internet Filter.  Family Zone has created this site to provide information to families with information on how to keep our children safe online.

Documents