Board hears staff plans to digitize decades of district records; trustees request more bids and security details

District staff presented preliminary plans and vendor quotes to digitize decades of paper records and host them in a secure cloud; trustees asked for more quotes, retention-certification and technical security details before awarding work.

Mr. Arola (district staff) explained the proposed service would collect paperwork from district buildings, scan it, and migrate the files to a cloud repository to improve access and reduce on-site paper storage. The staff presentation said existing paper goes back to the 1960s and that one vendor proposal would pick up documents and perform end-to-end scanning while other vendors planned to rely more on district manpower.

Trustees sought clarity on what record types would be scanned (student records, diplomas, financial documents), how the district would meet Indiana records-retention rules, who would hold encryption keys and who would have access rights. One trustee asked whether the Indiana Department of Education records-retention guidelines had been consulted; staff confirmed vendors being considered were familiar with retention regulations and that some documents are permanent.

Trustees also pressed for additional bids: staff said two more quotes were pending and that the current leading vendor (SNC) proposed an end-to-end service; other vendors would require district labor. Trustees requested the lowest quote so the procurement process could move forward through a formal bid process.

Security questions included whether vendors could track who accessed particular folders and whether the district could revoke credentials immediately when staff leave. Staff said cloud access can be controlled by role-based permissions and that vendors log access; technical security specifics would be discussed in a follow-up, not in open session.

What’s next: Staff will collect and present the remaining vendor quotes, provide retention and security details, explain proposed responsibilities for district versus vendor labor, and return to the board as part of the procurement process.