The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has released a report highlighting the challenges faced by K-12 education technology leaders, including AI, cybersecurity, and funding issues. The 2025 State of Edtech District Leadership report, partnered with AASA and The School Superintendents Association, highlights digital disruption, funding shortages, and technological developments in public education. The report highlights the shift towards digital infrastructure as the backbone for pedagogy, learning, and school functions. CoSN CEO Keith Krueger warns that district leaders and policymakers must act now to ensure learning remains accessible, secure, and in line with future needs.
E-Rate Funding at Risk
In this year’s report, perhaps the most alarming finding was about the proposed risk to E-rate’s Universal Service Fund. If the U.S. Supreme Court rules the program’s design as unconstitutional, 74 percent of districts claim major to catastrophic impact. Almost half (48%) of urban districts think the fallout would be catastrophic.
E-rate has long served as a financial lifeline for providing internet access in schools. Many districts would struggle to sustain the digital connectivity necessary to power their classrooms. Modern classrooms rely heavily on the internet. AI-powered tools, online testing platforms, and digital learning environments cannot function without robust and reliable internet service.
However, the study indicates a concerning drop in the promotion of off-campus broadband facilities. Support from districts has decreased from 74% to 66% for providing such support. Of greater concern, only 7% of districts claim all their students have sufficient bandwidth at home.
AI: Promise and Complexity
AI integration in K-12 education is gaining momentum, with 94% of edtech leaders believing it will improve productivity. GenAI is leading this change, with 80% of respondents working in districts where GenAI initiatives are launched. However, 57% of districts are still slow, with 57% using or considering tools to flag AI-generated student work, citing academic integrity and ethical use as core challenges. Lightspeed Systems is committed to supporting districts in safely and accurately utilizing these technologies, as they believe AI creates new possibilities and challenges. The company is supporting CoSN on their State of Edtech District Leadership report, providing valuable insights for improving services and a better student experience.
Gaps in Cybersecurity Stratagies
While cybersecurity risks continue to pose challenges, funding is lacking, which prevents most districts from safeguarding their systems. Sixty-one percent of organizations spent cybersecurity funds relying on general budgets in the absence of allocated budgets.
Though 78 percent of districts claim they have monitoring, detection, and response systems in place, those in positions of authority do not consider their systems to be dangerously insecure. Of the listed possible threats, phishing (27%) was most prevalent, followed by data breaches and ransomware, each accounting for a 13% share. However, as we have seen recently, the return to normal policies by the federal government, including the cutting back on previously subsidized programs such as the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), which trained participants for free in cybersecurity, cannot help but lengthen loaning vulnerabilities.
Oversight of Infrastructure as well as Interoperability
Edtech leaders have a new responsibility: overseeing complex digital ecosystems. The report noted that free tools are not the main concern for organizational vetting processes. In fact, the use of free tools by teachers without approval significantly increases risks, resulting in more districts employing vetting mechanisms.
Progress can be observed, for example, as the proportion of districts maintaining an approved app list surged from 42% to 59% within a single year.
Broadening Roles Along With Shift in Demographics
This report emphasizes the demographic shifts and leaders orchestrating this change. Edtech leaders as a whole filter cross-demographic groups and remain a snapshot relatively the same, albeit there was a striking decrease in female presence: 37 percent in 2024 dropped to an astonishing 29 percent this year.
Moreover, there is a transformation towards the background of leadership roles in edtech. The proportion of leaders coming from educational backgrounds was 58 percent in 2015. By 2025, it is projected that 52 percent will come from technology, highlighting greater emphasis on infrastructure, systems integration, and cybersecurity.
“The country’s educational technology executives are managing more than ever—overseeing HVAC systems, internet access, cybersecurity, or even real-time bus tracking,” states Dr. David R. Schuler, executive director of AASA. “These leaders must be included in district leadership conversations. Coordinated and well-resourced digital ecosystems are crucial for the future of education, and this report demonstrates that we cannot permit policy or funding shortfalls to sabotage the infrastructure that underpins learning.”
Looking Ahead
K–12 edtech leaders face an evolving scope of work with the acceleration of AI integration and the rise in cybersecurity threats. With what appears to be looming funding voids and ongoing modernization demands, this year’s CoSN report highlights the pressing need for district and policy leaders to go beyond maintaining digital infrastructure. Investing in powerful next-generation AI technologies, as well as extending funding beyond mere operational maintenance and prepping for an increasingly interconnected future, needs immediate attention.
