The Missisquoi Valley School District in the final phase of replacing all district firewalls, with the last installation scheduled at MVU during the upcoming in-service at the end of October. The upgrade marks a significant improvement in network reliability and cybersecurity. The new systems allow for centralized management, enhanced protection, detailed alerting, and improved reporting, enabling faster issue response and a safer digital environment for students and staff.
In parallel, the district is completing its HVAC system migration to the cloud, with all locations except MVU now transitioned. Once MVU is included, the project will eliminate the need for VPN connections, streamline management, and allow oversight of all district locations through a single secure portal. Centralized access ensures that permissions are assigned according to staff location, enhancing both security and operational efficiency. All sites now run the latest version of the HVAC management software, improving performance, stability, and vendor support while reducing administrative overhead.
MVSD has also strengthened data protection by rolling out a new backup solution for critical cloud-based data. This system increases retention and simplifies retrieval in the event of loss or corruption.
These initiatives reinforce MVSD’s commitment to providing safe, reliable, and equitable technology infrastructure for all schools. In November, a team of district technology staff will attend VermontFest, a statewide conference on educational technology, to explore emerging innovations and bring back strategies to enhance teaching, learning, and operations. As the first quarter concludes, the district will focus on monitoring system performance, documenting improvements, and preparing for upcoming projects.