Virus exposes computer system in need of major upgrade
Monday, November 17. 2008
JANESVILLE — A recent computer-virus attack revealed a Janesville School District computer system weakened by years of insufficient investment.
District Business Director Doug Bunton admitted budget constraints led to a "minimalist" approach to maintaining the computer network, which supports about 4,300 desktop workstations district wide.
On Friday, the head of the school district information technology department told The Janesville Gazette he chose to resign rather than be fired in the wake of the chaos caused by the virus.
The virus attacked Sept. 19 and wasn't completely eradicated until recently, officials said. Scattered problems remain around the district.
The district actually was working to upgrade the system leading up to this school year, but that work had to be set aside as IT staff members, consultants and temporary workers fought the virus.
The district's computer network was designed in 1995. Voters in 1997 approved a referendum that included $9.7 million to build a system that wired every building for the Internet and put at least one computer in every classroom.
The uses for computers in classrooms grew explosively over the years, Bunton said.
The system got periodic upgrades, but more could have been done, Bunton acknowledged in an interview last week.
Insufficient funds
Holding the district back were tight budgets, and Bunton blamed the state's revenue cap system. Revenue caps are part of a tax-relief effort that holds down yearly spending increases for public schools.
School officials have long complained that revenue caps have not allowed their spending to keep up with their expenses.
Handicapped computer-maintenance budgets combined with escalating use by staff have led to a computer network that needs an overhaul, Bunton said.
"If we under-funded it, then shame on us," said Lori Stottler, a school board member who has criticized the administration for not fully answering her questions about the virus attack.
Stottler said students are told regularly that they will be competing in a globally connected workforce of the future, but: "Our technology isn't up to par to show them what it might look like. It's a double standard. It doesn't work. For me it's like teaching with out-of-date textbooks."
Early warnings
The district had clues that its system might be vulnerable.
A Craig High School student hacked into the system two years ago, causing outages at the school. And last January, the system suffered an external attack from something called a "data packet."
And a 2005 consultant's report stated that the district lacked sufficient information-technology staffing. Staff was not increased, but the district did undertake other improvements the consultant recommended.
Bunton would not discuss the job performance of anyone in his IT department, on the advice of district legal counsel who sat in on a Gazette interview with Bunton.
But Bunton on Wednesday expressed confidence in the skills of his IT manager, Brandon Keirns.
Keirns said he resigned Thursday rather than be fired. He said he plans to ask the school board to refuse his resignation and place him on administrative leave while the reasons for his possible termination are investigated.
Bunton rejected the notion that the current IT staff is insufficiently trained.
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