Former technology director warns of 'hardware cliff' as committee debates tech spending

Greg Limperis, who said he served as the district’s director of technology for five years, told the School Committee that eliminating the director-level position would remove a state-certified layer of oversight and leave the district exposed as federal ESSER funding phases out.

"Once you eliminate a certified director level leadership role in a district with 37,000 devices...you lose the ability to manage the millions of dollars in infrastructure we have built," Limperis said. He warned of a looming "$4,000,000 hardware cliff" as classroom devices and classroom panels reach end-of-life and federal funding ends.

Committee member Bahu pressed staff about technology expenditures, noting an unspent balance of about $587,525 in the computer-hardware line and urging a $300,000 reduction to reallocate funds to staffing. The superintendent and finance personnel said the money was being held as part of a longer-term refresh plan and cited grant offsets that reduced local software spending. "We put together a more comprehensive plan than we've ever had before that allows for us to budget a certain amount per year," the superintendent said, pointing to materials provided in the committee packet.

The exchange exposed two tensions: whether to prioritize immediate personnel restorations or preserve multi-year tech refresh capacity, and how transparently the district should show grant revenues and projected spending. The committee ultimately accepted several restorations from suspense funds — including a recommendation to restore the director-of-technology role if funds allow — and a separate motion to reconsider broader technology funding for 2026–27 was withdrawn.

Why it matters: District technology choices affect classroom instruction, privacy and long-term capital costs. The hearing left unresolved whether the district will protect central IT leadership as ESSER funding ends and hardware ages.

Key quotes
"We are currently standing on the edge of a $4,000,000 hardware cliff," said Greg Limperis.
"There is currently $587,525 left in that budget line," said member Bahu, pressing staff for written estimates and procurement plans.

What’s next: The superintendent will return with a finalized, redlined budget and more detailed hardware/software line-item documentation at the next meeting, and the committee plans a policy discussion on technology strategy.