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Back-to-School 2025-26

Here's a quick 3-5 minute read regarding technology-centered notices and reminders for school admins. As always, please communicate non-emergency service requests through the service ticket system. For urgent issues impacting a large portion of your campus or student population, call us at (559) 690-3000 or extension 16000.

Priorities

  • Our service ticket load is extremely high during the back-to-school month of August. For instance, over 4,200 technology service tickets were submitted during August 2024, including 400 submitted on the first day of school.
  • At Tech Services, we prioritize our work in alignment with the District's mission of Every Student Learning Every Day. To that end, work needed in direct support of students happens first. Please be patient if lower priority tickets don't get addressed as quickly as you may like. Please use the ticket system to communicate needs or request status.

iPad Management Refresh

  • Staff will notice a few key changes on their newly migrated devices. To help with the adjustment, we’ve created a Help Article that explains what’s different and how to navigate the updated setup. Please share this with staff who use iPads. 
  • If an iPad wasn't turned in for service over the summer, it will eventually stop working. Put in a ticket, which will be addressed after all initial classroom set-ups are completed.

Guest Teacher Technology (updated 2025-08-12)

  • Long-term subs/guest teachers - The school office or administration should request a device for checkout via a service ticket.
  • Short-term (daily) subs/guest teachers - They can borrow a Chromebook or a Windows laptop from the school. We have provided each elementary (2), middle (2), and high (3) school site with Windows laptops. Please see this article for more information.
  • We plan to deploy more Guest Teacher spare laptops in the future.

Technology Device Inventory Management

  • Please do not move or reallocate any technology devices (laptops, desktops, printers, copiers, phones, etc.) among staff without involving Tech Services. Knowing where and who has devices is vital for inventory and device management practices.
  • Laptops turned in or collected from staff must be returned to IT for a refresh. Laptops cannot be shared between staff or saved for future hires (except the sub-specific laptops noted above).
  • iPads cannot be shared between staff; they must come back to IT for a refresh and be checked out properly in our inventory system

Printing

  • Printer service tickets account for many of our back-to-school ticket load and will be addressed in priority order (impact x urgency). In the meantime, all staff should be able to utilize the copiers.
  • We have improved our printer management services and will provide this self-help documentation for 'I need to connect to printer XYZ' tickets. Of course, if staff cannot connect, we will follow up with support.

Security Practices

  • We have been experiencing a significant uptick in phishing and impersonation emails. Criminal organizations know it's back-to-school time and are trying to take advantage. Stay vigilant!
  • Never share passwords or write them on a sticky note. 
  • Multifactor authentication will be rolled out to all staff later this fall, similar to what has already been implemented with management staff.

WiFi on Campus

  • Remember that WiFi on campus is available for all staff personal mobile phones, and they are encouraged to enroll, particularly in support of the Raptor Emergency Management system. See this support article for more information.
  • Guest WiFi on campus is much easier to access this year. You will see a 'VUSD-Visitors' WiFi network approved guests can connect to using the daily password found in PowerSchool SIS under Data and Reporting -> Data Management -> VUSD-Visitors Daily Wi-Fi Password. This network or password should never be shared with students. Staff devices should be enrolled using the process outlined in the previous bullet.