district requires operationally. Westberg explains that what used to be manageable by a single IT staff member is no longer feasible in a modern one-to-one environment. To build stability and cost control, the district partnered with EduTech, a shared services technology provider that delivers on-site daily support, escalated technical expertise, and strategic budgeting guidance. Westberg notes that the partnership has already resulted in meaningful cost savings through consolidation of redundant services and elimination of obsolete technology expenses, while strengthening core capacity in areas such as servers, camera systems, and cloud-based infrastructure. For district leadership, technology is no longer treated as an occasional tool. It is an everyday learning platform, and reliability matters. Mai notes that in earlier years, teachers routinely needed backup lesson plans in case technology failed. That expectation has changed. Today, the priority is ensuring digital literacy, internet safety, and staff training remain aligned with how students actually live and learn in a tech-driven world. That world, of course, now includes artificial intelligence. Mai describes AI as the “elephant in the room,” noting that the district is still in early stages of professional learning and policy conversations. Staff members are becoming familiar with AI tools, but the district has not yet fully “turned it loose” 296 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02
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