Keeping your school’s technology running smoothly is about more than just renewing contracts and calling support when things break. Technology—and the threats against it—evolve fast. If you only talk to your IT provider at renewal time, you’re missing critical opportunities to shore up your defenses, optimize performance, and ensure your staff and students never skip a beat.
Use this quarterly cheat sheet to turn your IT partner into a true strategic asset. Below are the seven questions that will keep your schools secure, compliant, and online—no matter what comes next.
1. Are There Any Vulnerabilities We Need To Address Right Now?
Don't settle for "we're good." Ask for specifics:
- Antivirus & endpoint protection: Are all workstations and devices running the latest definitions?
- Patch status: Which servers, desktops, or appliances are overdue for updates?
- Security incidents & near misses: Have we seen any phishing attempts, malware detections, or intrusion attempts this quarter?
You're not being paranoid-you're being proactive. Knowing where your gaps lie lets you close them before attackers exploit them.
2. What’s The Status Of Our Backups? And Have You Tested Them Lately?
Backups are your last line of defense against hardware failures, ransomware, or accidental deletions. Drill into the details:
- Last full-restore test: When did we successfully recover a full server or database?
- Backup cadence: Are critical systems backed up hourly, daily, or weekly-based on their importance?
- Off-site & cloud copies: Do we have geographically redundant snapshots in case our primary data center fails?
- A backup that's never been tested is just expensive storage. Make sure your IT partner proves your data can be restored-quickly and completely.
3. Are We Fully Compliant with FERPA, CIPA, and Other Education Requirements?
Schools face unique regulatory demands around student data and online safety. Confirm:
- Policy updates: Have changes to state or federal regulations been incorporated into our security policies?
- Audit logs & reporting: Can we generate evidence of compliance in minutes, not hours?
- Acceptable use & filtering: Are web filters and device policies aligned with CIPA requirements?
Compliance isn't a checkbox-it's an ongoing process. Your provider should keep you ahead of audits and inspections.
4. How Are We Keeping Ahead of Emerging Threats and Best Practices?
Technology doesn't stand still-and neither do cybercriminals. Ask about:
- New tools & protocols: Are there next-generation firewalls, SIEM platforms, or multi-factor authentication solutions we should adopt?
- Peer benchmarking: What are comparable schools doing to raise their security posture?
- Threat intelligence: Have we seen any new malware variants or phishing campaigns targeting education?
A great IT partner doesn't just react; they research, recommend, and implement the latest defenses for your school.
5. What’s the Health of Our Network and Infrastructure?
Performance problems can impact teaching as much as security threats. Verify:
- Bandwidth & latency: Are any campus locations experiencing congestion during peak hours?
- Hardware lifecycle: Which switches, routers, or wireless access points are due for replacement?
- Capacity planning: Do we have room to grow as 1:1 initiatives and remote learning expand?
Better performance isn't a luxury-it's essential for modern education. Make sure your infrastructure scales with your vision.
6. Do We Have a Clear Disaster-Recovery Plan?
Beyond backups, you need documented, practiced procedures for worst-case scenarios:
- DR plan clarity: Who's on call? What's the communication workflow?
- RTO & RPO targets: How quickly do we need to restore systems (Recovery Time Objective), and how much data loss is acceptable (Recovery Point Objective)?
- Drills & updates: When was the last tabletop exercise or full-scale failover test?
If paperwork is all you have, it's not enough. Your provider should run-and refine-your plan every quarter.
7. What’s Our Total Cost of Ownership—and Are There Budget-Friendly Optimizations?
IT budgets are tight, but costs can spiral if you only react to problems. Learn:
- Current spend vs. value: Are you over-licensing software or missing volume discounts?
- Consolidation opportunities: Can cloud migrations or platform unification reduce hardware overhead?
- Future projects: What upcoming initiatives (e.g., security awareness training, new LMS integrations) should we plan and budget for now?
Visibility into your true IT spend prevents sticker shock-and uncovers savings you can reinvest in classrooms.
Red Flags to Watch For
If your provider can’t give clear, detailed answers to these questions—or brushes them off—that’s a warning sign. You deserve an IT partner who meets with you regularly, not only when there’s a crisis or contract renewal.
Take the Next Step with a FREE Discovery Call
We offer FREE Discovery Call to help schools like yours get a clear view of their tech setup – what’s working, what’s not and how to fix it before it turns into a problem. You can also reach us directly at (305) 403-7582.