Intro
Ever wondered what keeps K12 IT professionals up at night?
Outages, technology changes, and device management are just the beginning.
Our survey reveals the real struggles of K-12 IT staff. With responses from 51 experts, we dive into their biggest concerns and emerging trends.
Discover what keeps them busy and how they’re adapting in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
We’ve organized our findings into key areas:
- Outages
- Technology
- Most and least pressing problems
- K-12 IT staffing
Details on our survey methodology and analysis can be found in the final section. Let’s dive in!
Outages
78.4% of respondents are likely to get extra work due to outages
The data shows that most respondents receive extra work due to outages, with 59% saying it’s likely and 20% saying it’s very likely. Only 6% find it unlikely, while 16% are neutral. This indicates that outages are a common source of additional workload for K12 IT staff.
The extra work IT staff often face includes troubleshooting and diagnosing issues, restoring services, and providing user support.
They also handle data recovery, implement preventative measures, maintain and upgrade infrastructure, conduct security audits, and manage reporting and documentation.
68.6% of respondents are likely to receive similar tickets due to outages.
Most respondents expect multiple similar tickets during an outage, with 49% saying it’s likely and 20% saying very likely. Only 12% find it unlikely.
This indicates that repeated issues are a common challenge, adding to the workload and complicating resolution efforts.
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94% of respondents say they use emails to notify staff about outages
Email is the top choice for outage notifications, used by 94% of respondents. IT status pages and apps are less common, at 41% and 26%, respectively. Email clearly dominates, but there’s room to explore other channels. Surprisingly, 6% of institutions don’t notify staff about outages at all.
Technology
49% of respondents have an IT status page
Usage of IT status pages is nearly split. 49% have one, while 47% do not. Only 2% are unsure or unaware. This shows mixed adoption and awareness.
88% of respondents said they distribute devices 1:1 for High School, Middle School, Elementary School.
With only 56% for Kindergarten and 13.7% Pre-K.
88% of respondents provide 1:1 devices for High School, Middle School, and Elementary students. In contrast, only 56% do so for Kindergarten and 13.7% for Pre-K.
This makes sense, as older students need individual devices for learning and testing, while younger kids benefit more from hands-on activities and limited screen time.
What about the remaining 12%? They likely use shared devices or alternative solutions for younger students, reflecting the varied approaches to device distribution.
72% of respondents said they have more than half of their infrastructure in the cloud
Over 72% of respondents have at least half their infrastructure in the cloud.
Most organizations are embracing cloud solutions, with 51% of organizations having a majority of their infrastructure in the cloud. About 22% of K12 IT teams use a hybrid approach, keeping some, but less than half of their systems in the cloud. Only 6% of departments rely nearly entirely on on-premise infrastructure, showing that full on-premise setups are becoming a rarity.
The average school district depends on 36 vendors and hosted applications
School districts often depend on a large number of software providers. On average, they use 36.8 vendors, with 58% relying on 55 or more providers.
Most organizations juggle numerous tools: 27% use between 11 and 20 hosted tools, 37% use up to 50, and 16% use up to 100 hosted applications and third party services. Only 10% work with less than10 providers. And for those managing over 100 applications? They’re the digital heroes, bravely navigating a labyrinth of tools with superhuman skill.
The most and the least bothersome problems
Top Three Headaches for K12 Sysadmins: Privacy Compliance, Cybersecurity Threats, and Evolving IT Policies
K12 sysadmins are most bothered by privacy data compliance, cybersecurity threats, and updating IT policies to keep pace with new technologies.
Privacy compliance and cybersecurity are top concerns. With increasing regulations and rising cyberattacks, protecting sensitive student data is critical.
Updating IT policies is another major headache. The rapid pace of tech advancements means policies need constant tweaks, which can be a complex and time-consuming task for IT teams.
The Three Least Troubling Issues for K12 Sysadmins: Wi-Fi Coverage, BYOD Policies, and Remote Learning Challenges
Wi-Fi coverage, BYOD policies, and remote learning challenges are the least of K12 sysadmins’ worries.
The drop in concern over remote learning likely stems from schools adapting during the pandemic. BYOD and Wi-Fi issues, while present, may no longer seem as pressing compared to the top concerns of privacy, security, and policy updates.
Mid-Level IT Challenges in K12
The data reveals several mid-level issues that, while not the top or bottom concerns, still pose significant challenges. “AI access in schools” (284) and “Supporting students and teachers” (278) highlight the need for advanced tech integration and adequate support.
Rising use of AI is an upcoming challenge in all organizations and we expect this one to continue to grow in significance. “Navigating software licensing and renewals” (268) and “Adapting to changes in educational technology standards” (267) are also notable.
These issues reflect the complexities of keeping up with tech requirements and managing licenses. Though not the most urgent, they are crucial for effective IT management in schools.
IT Staffing
The average school district employs about 12 IT staff members.
Most organizations work with relatively small IT teams. Around 8% have just one IT person, while 35% have 2 to 5 staff members. Another 33% have between 5 and 20 IT staff, and only 24% have teams larger than 21.
This highlights the challenge of managing IT with limited resources, which may affect how effectively they handle outages and other IT issues.
StatusGator helps IT teams do more with less by automating incident communication.
Respondents report that the average school in our dataset has about 13,000 students.
The data reveals a broad spectrum of student enrollments. Around 9.8% of schools who replied have fewer than 500 students, while 31% serve between 3,001 and 10,000 students. About 25% have 1,001 to 3,000 students, and nearly 20% cater to between 10,001 and 50,000 students.
Smaller percentages are in the largest category (between 50,001 and 100,000 students at 6%) and the smallest category (501 to 1,000 students at 6%). This range illustrates the diverse scale of school districts, impacting their IT needs and resource management.
On average, the ratio is 1,394 students per IT staff member.
On average, the ratio is 1,394 students per IT staff member. However, 46% of respondents report a ratio of less than 500 students per staff member, while another 24% indicate a ratio between 500 and 1,000 students.
This disparity suggests that while 70% institutions manage with a relatively low student-to-staff ratio, a some number face much higher ratios, potentially reflecting differences in funding, resource allocation, or institutional priorities.
Summary
Outages
Outages are a big issue for K-12 IT staff. 78% expect extra work during outages. They often need to troubleshoot, diagnose, and restore services.
Most face repeated issues, with 69% anticipating similar tickets. Email is the main way to notify staff about outages, used by 94% of districts. IT status pages and apps are less common.
Technology
Half of the respondents use IT status pages. 88% provide 1:1 devices for older students, but only 56% do so for Kindergarten and 13.7% for Pre-K.
72% of infrastructure is in the cloud for most schools. On average, schools rely on 36 vendors. Those managing over 101 third party apps and vendors are digital heroes navigating a maze of tools.
Most and Least Pressing Problems
Top concerns are privacy compliance, cybersecurity threats, and updating IT policies. These issues are crucial due to regulations and tech changes.
The least pressing issues are Wi-Fi coverage, BYOD policies, and remote learning challenges. Reduced concern for remote learning likely comes from pandemic adaptations.
K-12 IT Staffing
The average district has 12 IT staff. Staffing varies: 8% have just one person, 35% have 2-5, 33% have 5-20, and 24% have more than 21.
The average student-to-IT ratio is 1,394. However, 46% manage fewer than 500 students per staff member. The average school has about 13,000 students, highlighting diverse IT needs.
About the data
We collected 51 valid responses from employees of U.S. school districts through channels like email marketing and Reddit. To ensure data accuracy, we verified email addresses and LinkedIn profiles, excluding irrelevant or unqualified participants. Respondents were incentivized with an Amazon gift card for their participation. Our final data set includes:
Roles of Respondents:
- 31% Director, CTO, and similar senior roles
- 69% Sysadmin, IT Specialist, Technology Coordinator, and related positions
Disclaimer on data
Please note that our findings are based on responses from 51 participants. Given the small sample size, the results may not be statistically significant. Therefore, we recommend interpreting this data as a directional indicator rather than a definitive measure. For a more comprehensive understanding, further research with a larger sample size may be necessary.
