Key points:
Nine out of ten K-12 tech leaders expect their IT asset inventories will grow in 2024, while almost half (48 percent) predict their IT budgets will diminish, according to a new survey by Incident IQ, a workflow management platform built for K-12 schools, which recently polled Technology Leadership Council members.
Nonetheless, these IT leaders were clear in their determination to minimize the impact on students of any budget cuts. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) said that maintaining device access is one of their big goals for the year, and a solid 87 percent of respondents stated that sustaining 1:1 initiatives at their current levels is a top priority for 2024.
“Even as we remain committed to providing districts with all the tech support they need, the reality is that today, IT leaders may have to do more with less,” said Sarah Lawrence, Assistant Director of Technology Support at Mukilteo School District. “To meet these growing demands, we’ll have to shift our processes and platforms to focus on workflow technology that is efficient, cost-effective and streamlined. Only in doing so will we be able to make progress in our core mission, which is to help students learn.”
Three-quarters of the surveyed IT leaders named device loss or breakage as the biggest challenge they had faced for student devices in 2023. When asked what kept them awake at night for 2024, 78 percent reported it was cybersecurity threats and 61 percent pointed to staff shortages, with 44 percent stating they won’t be able to sustain their current staffing level over the next three years.
“Our survey participants have highlighted a major trend for 2024, which is the need for a laser focus on IT operational efficiencies and program sustainability,” said R.T. Collins, CEO of Incident IQ. “That’s why one of our primary objectives this year will be to support districts in lowering their device loss or breakage rates by continuing to enhance IT workflow and asset management tools for our users.”
Incident IQ distributed a survey to the thirty members of the Technology Leadership Council in December of 2023, and received 23 responses. The goal was to identify dominant trends in K-12 technology and the challenges that IT leaders will face in 2024. The Technology Leadership Council comprises school technology leaders from around the country, selected to provide insight and expertise regarding the forces that are shaping the next generation of K-12 support tools.
This press release originally appeared online.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.