A team of just six dedicated staff members in the Carroll County Schools Technology Department support nearly every aspect of the district - from classroom instruction to security, transportation, and data infrastructure. Serving about 1,800 students, the department maintains a wide array of devices and systems that keep the district connected, secure, and functioning smoothly every day.
Zachary Morris-Dean, Director of Technology, explained the significance of his department to the Carroll County Schools District Ambassadors recently.
Currently, the district manages 2,500 Chrome devices, 675 Windows computers, 650 iPads, and maintains 390 wireless access points, 180 interactive boards, 30 copiers, 350 phones, and 450 security cameras. The team has resolved nearly 3,000 service tickets during the 2024-25 school year.
One of the department’s proudest achievements is a recent full network infrastructure upgrade, replacing every piece of equipment from wireless access points to the network core, resulting in high-speed, reliable internet across all schools. With a two gigabit-per-second Internet connection, funded fully by the Kentucky Department of Education, the district uses just 40% on an average day, leaving plenty of room to grow, according to Morris-Dean.
“Our school board has been very supportive of the infrastructure improvements,” Morris-Dean said. “If we can’t build the roads for the computers to travel on, then they won’t work reliably. This district has been very understanding and supportive of our initiatives to build out the infrastructure.”
Beyond instruction, the department supports essential operations like the Raptor visitor management system, badge access for 75 doors, 12 doorbell systems, and several other security and operations-related systems. It also plays a vital role in student safety with upgraded bus monitoring technology. New student ID badges, equipped with RFID and barcodes, allow district administrators and front office staff to see when and where students board or exit buses, which is critical in emergency situations. These same badges can be used for lunch lines, library books, and computer checkout.
Security remains a top priority. The district enforces content filtering both at school and home and is rolling out multi-factor authentication for all employees. Every student signs a responsible use policy, and intentional damage to devices incurs fines. Thanks to proactive replacement planning and student accountability, device damage continues to decline, Morris-Dean said.
The department also maintains 32 learning apps, document cameras, Google Classroom as its learning management system, and is considering piloting audio enhancement tools and translation services to support instruction across grade levels.
Infrastructure system upgrades are made possible through the federal E-Rate program, which covers up to 90% of Internet and infrastructure costs. The rest comes from KDE grants and the general fund. It’s an efficient, forward-thinking model that ensures Carroll County’s students and staff have the tools they need when and where they need them.