School Committee discusses Technology Department reorganization

July 28, 2026 - 17:18

Technology officials presented a budget-neutral reorganization proposal to the School Committee on Tuesday, aiming to overhaul how the district manages its growing fleet of student devices. The plan would streamline Chromebook repairs, rebalance technician workloads, and improve support services across all schools.

Under the current system, technicians are assigned to specific buildings, leading to uneven workloads and delayed repairs when one school faces a surge in broken devices. The new model would create a centralized repair hub and deploy mobile technicians who can respond to issues across the district as needed. Officials said this would cut average repair times from several days to under 24 hours for most problems.

The reorganization would not require additional funding. Instead, it shifts existing positions and reallocates resources. Two vacant technician roles would be converted into a logistics coordinator and a field support specialist. The coordinator would manage parts inventory and track repairs, while the specialist would handle on-site troubleshooting at schools with the highest demand.

Committee members raised questions about how the changes would affect schools with older infrastructure or less reliable internet access. Technology staff assured them that the plan includes a pilot program at three high-needs schools before a district-wide rollout. They also noted that the new structure would allow technicians to spend more time training teachers and students on basic device maintenance, reducing the number of preventable repairs.

The committee is expected to vote on the proposal at its next meeting. If approved, the reorganization would take effect at the start of the next school year.