Project Details
Project Manager: Perry Swanson
Specifics by Project
Document Management
Academy District 20 partnered with a document management company called All Copy Products to scan the District's collection of nearly 1.4 million paper records. District policy requires maintaining certain records in perpetuity, particularly records of academic achievement. To improve the security of those documents and protect them from disaster, the Technology Infrastructure program calls for converting them to electronic form and storing them with a software product called a document management system. The project was completed in August 2018 at a cost of $73,860. It enables access to the documents for everyone who needs it while maintaining the security of private student data. In addition, the electronic documents are backed up in secure locations to reduce the risk of destruction from fire, flood or another disaster.
Document Management Progress
Close-out is complete. Examining options for phase two the project, likely to begin in 2020
Enterprise Resource Planning
Academy District 20 carries out most business processes using software known as an enterprise resource planning system. The District's current system was implemented in 2001, and the Technology Infrastructure program provides for a replacement. In early 2018, stakeholders settled on a product called Workday to unify management of human resources, payroll, benefits, budget, finance and procurement. The District partnered with a consulting company, Sierra-Cedar, Inc., for implementation services. The Bond Fund is providing $3,786,000 for the project, which covers professional services and licensing for the first year. The new system will go live July 1, 2019.
Enterprise Resource Planning Progress
Payroll parallel testing is complete. Completing a tenant build to support additional payroll and user acceptance testing.
Fiber Network
Academy District 20 owns fiber optic cables that transmit data among its schools and other sites. The service is fast and reliable, but until recently the District had two facilities that were not on the network: Edith Wolford Elementary School and School in the Woods. The Technology Infrastructure program provided about $1 million to extend the network to the two remaining sites. Work was completed in summer 2017, and users have reported dramatic increases in speed and reliability.
Fiber Network Progress
The extension of fiber optic cables to Edith Wolford ES and School in the Woods is complete. Using budget savings from other Technology Infrastructure projects, the Bond program is also funding a fiber cable extension between Explorer Elementary School and Timberview Midle School. Work is anticipated to be complete in fall 2019.
Internal Connections
Academy District 20 is replacing hardware at all schools and administrative sites that enables connecting to the District network and the Internet. Some of the current equipment is more than 30 years old. The Technology Infrastructure program will replace cables that serve wall outlets where users plug in computers and phones, plus the racks of computer equipment that provide a central place for wired connections to the Internet. That will make the District's data network much faster, more reliable and easier to maintain.
The District will also install new equipment to more than double the number of wireless devices, such as smartphones, that can be supported at one time. In the past, the District had about one wireless access point for every 2.5 classrooms. Now, upgraded wireless access points will serve every single classroom
Internal Connections Progress
Upgrades throughout the District will be completed in phases over Winter Break, Spring Break, and summer 2019. To see the status of Internal Connections at any school, find the school from the Bond Projects page and look for the Technology Infrastructure heading.
Learning Management System
Bond funding enabled Academy District 20 to purchase a modern and flexible solution to manage online learning for students and staff members. These kinds of products are often called learning management systems. Stakeholders selected a product called Schoology, which has easy-to-use tools to provide learning materials and assessments in an online environment, plus mechanisms for student collaboration and communication with guardians. Schoology began a pilot program during the fall 2018 school term, and it's expected to be used for staff professional learning in spring 2019. The Bond has provided $302,193 in funding.
Learning Management System Progress
Pilot is complete and teams are working to promote district wide adoption. A separate Assessment Management Platform module will be adopted by at least four schools. A separate product to facilitate class registration for Professional Learning is in implementation and expected to go live on May 1.
Security
The Bond program includes $250,000 to jumpstart a District-wide initiative to replace and upgrade school security cameras. Bond funds will cover replacement cameras at a few schools, and the remainder will come from the District's capital improvement funds.
Security Progress
The Bond-funded portion of the project was completed in the first quarter of 2018. Cameras have been replaced at Discovery Canyon Campus and Pine Creek High School.