According to a video by the Mounds View Public Schools YouTube channel, the district blocks over 60,000 unauthorized attempts to access students’ data every month. Outdated devices and infrastructure are making the job of securing students’ data and privacy harder by the day. To address these impending threats and modernize classroom technology, the district is proposing a $10 million annual capital projects levy on the Nov. 4 ballot.
If approved, the levy would cost the average homeowner living in the Mounds View Public School District (ISD621) $18 more per month for 10 years, funding upgrades like new Chromebooks, security cameras and more. District leaders say the plan is essential to ensure students’ privacy and safety, which could be compromised if funding falls short. The levy encompasses all residents living within the boundaries of the district, not just parents of students attending Mounds View schools, which may raise some controversy around the additional costs that these homeowners will have to pay.
A comprehensive technology evaluation in 2024 uncovered issues within the technology infrastructure that prevent ISD621 from providing the most adequate safety and learning environments. A 2018 Public Service Announcement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed that the malignant use of sensitive data can lead to tracking, social engineering and other means for targeting children. Potentially unsecure systems at this school district can be at risk for cyberattacks. Exploitations could lead to identity theft and safety concerns for students’ families as well. Not only are devices in the district at risk of cyberattacks, the students’ devices such as chromebooks, ipads, and smart displays are in need of replacement.
The district has a clear intention for this levy, and some technologies will be prioritized over others. “On the front end of the levy: camera’s, visitor
management systems (VMS), locks, doors and fobs are critical infrastructure. A plan to replace outdated laptops, Chromebooks and Smartboards would be implemented over time,” said District Safety Coordinator Mike Schwartz. Technologies such as cameras and visitor management systems improve students’ safety and promote a healthier learning environment. Small improvements over the span of years will culminate into a robust cybersecurity infrastructure and generational improvement in students’ and staffs’ technology.
If this levy does pass, it will cost the average homeowner living in the Mounds View school district about $216 more per year for the next ten years. The amount homeowners would pay reflects their property value, with a higher cost for those owning properties of higher values and vice versa. If this levy passes, it will increase living expenses, making it harder for some homeowners to get by.
However, if a cybersecurity attack does happen without the proper measures in place, it would be expensive. This summer, there was a cyberattack on the city of Saint Paul, and due to the attack, the city had to pay well over $1 million in upgrading cybersecurity, according to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter in an interview with Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. According to school board member Shauna Bock, if a cybersecurity attack does happen, the consequences that follow may outweigh the immediate cost of the levy. “It will eventually cost more in the long run,” Bock said.
With the new school year already underway, the district is putting a continuous effort on student safety in the face of rising rates of violent crimes. “In order for us to have public safety, we need to have the public involved,” emphasized Director of Public Safety Tony Paetznick. “Everybody plays a role in this.”
In the end, the proposed levy is not just about dollars and devices, but also about protecting students in a rapidly evolving digital world. If approved, the levy would fund the implementation of upgrades for building safer schools without pulling funding away from current projects and programs, but it will cause a strain on some homeowners. On the other hand, if the levy is rejected, the implementation of those safety measures will be shrunken down and will put more stress on the current operating budget, leading to outdated systems and older devices with limited technology support.
Ultimately, it is up to voters living in the Mounds View School District to decide in the upcoming November ballot how much they value student safety and whether the amount contributed is reasonable for them. With critical cybersecurity and school safety concerns in mind, the district aims to use this levy to provide specialized funding for improvements in digital and hardware infrastructure for years to come.