Information Technology

Information Technology

EPSD Information Technology

The Information Technology Department supports the technology that students and staff rely on every day across all twelve of the district’s locations. The department’s work covers the devices in classrooms, the networks that connect district buildings, the systems that hold student and staff information, and the security that protects all of it. Its goal is straightforward: technology should work reliably and quietly in the background so that teaching and learning can be the focus.

Devices and Classroom Technology

The department manages approximately 7,000 user devices across the district, including a one to one device program that provides every student and full time staff member with their own computer. The team handles the full life of those devices, from purchasing and setup through repair and eventual replacement. It also supports classroom presentation technology, audio and visual systems, printers and copiers, and digital signage throughout district buildings.

Network and Infrastructure

The department designs and maintains the network that connects all twelve district sites, including wired and wireless access in every building. Behind that, it manages the district’s servers and virtual systems, cloud services, and the backup and recovery systems that keep critical information safe and available if something goes wrong. The team also works to ensure the network can reliably handle the demands of online state testing and daily instructional use.

Accounts and Access

The department creates and manages the accounts that students and staff use to access district systems, including email, Google Workspace, and the many instructional and administrative platforms the district relies on. It also manages who has access to what, so that information is available to the people who need it and protected from those who do not.

Cybersecurity

Protecting student and staff information is one of the department’s most important responsibilities. The team monitors the district environment for threats, maintains protections on every device, reviews and addresses security vulnerabilities on a regular schedule, and maintains plans for responding quickly if an incident occurs. The department also provides ongoing security training for staff, because the people using district systems are an essential part of keeping them safe.

Student Data Privacy

The department is responsible for ensuring the district meets its obligations under federal and state student privacy law, including FERPA, CIPA, and Rhode Island’s student data privacy requirements. Every software application and online service requested for district use goes through a review process before it is approved, so that the district understands how student information will be handled before any data is shared.

Student Information and District Systems

The department supports the student information system that holds enrollment, scheduling, attendance, and grade information, along with the many other platforms used across the district for instruction and operations. It also works to make sure these systems share information with one another accurately, so that staff are not entering the same data in multiple places.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is changing quickly, and the district has chosen to get ahead of it rather than react to it. The department authored the district’s AI governance framework, including the employee acceptable use policy, the student data privacy and AI policy, the risk assessment process, and the process used to evaluate third-party AI vendors. These policies were developed within the department and brought to the School Committee for approval, and the department keeps them current as the technology and the regulatory landscape continue to change.

Day to day, that means the department reviews AI tools before they are approved for district use, assesses how each one handles student and staff information, evaluates whether it meets the district’s obligations under federal and state privacy law, and provides practical guidance to staff on what responsible use looks like in instructional and administrative work. The aim is to let the district take advantage of genuinely useful tools while making sure student privacy and district data are protected from the outset.

Families with questions about how AI tools are used in their student’s classroom are welcome to reach out through their school’s main office, and the department is glad to help answer them.

Physical Security Technology

The department manages the technology side of district physical security, including building access and door entry systems, security cameras, alarm systems, and visitor management at district schools. It handles the configuration, maintenance, and upgrades of these systems.

Planning, Purchasing, and Partnerships

The department develops the district’s long range technology plan, manages the technology budget, handles purchasing and vendor relationships, and administers the federal E-Rate program, which helps fund the district’s internet and network infrastructure. It also provides technical support and coordination for new construction and building renovation projects.

Getting Help

Staff who need technical assistance can submit a request through the help desk at Freshservice, which is the fastest way to reach the department and allows requests to be tracked through to resolution. Families with questions about a student device or district technology should start with their school’s main office, which will provide an answer or get the information needed from the IT team.