NORTH LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Classroom and Google’ s suite of technologies, providing a unified digital learning platform that allows students – as well as their teachers – to navigate familiar interfaces as they progress through grades without the confusion of multiple systems
. Building bridges across education barriers with IT NLRSD’ s high-poverty status – among the highest in Arkansas – amplifies the urgency of the work of Randy and his team.
Although Randy is clear that the district cannot solve every external challenge – like unstable housing or food insecurity – it can guarantee equitable technology access during school hours and beyond. To maintain this, devices undergo a rigorous refresh cycle every five years – outpacing Google’ s 10-year durability rating – due to the intense daily wear from students and their families.
Randy says that it’ s this proactive approach that prevents disparities that could widen the digital divide, positioning technology as an enabler rather than an obstacle.
Cybersecurity forms another pillar of NLRSD’ s digital enablement strategy, especially as student data becomes ever more critical for insights into academic performance and needs. Arkansas has endured a wave of ransomware attacks on schools, including an incident at a neighbouring school district.
“ WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS LIKE SINGLE SIGN-ON IS APPLIED TO EVERYTHING FOR BOTH EASE OF CONVENIENCE”
Randy Riddle, Director of IT, North Little Rock School District
“ The district across the river was hit with a ransomware attack a couple of years back. That hit really close to home”, Randy says. In response, NLRSD adheres to National Institute of Standards and Technology( NIST) frameworks – US government benchmarks for safeguarding systems – while exceeding state mandates through Arkansas Acts 754 and 504. These laws require data privacy agreements with any vendor handling personally identifiable information, such as student names, emails or IDs. To add an extra layer of protection, the district now has agreements with more than 70 partners, severing ties with those unwilling to commit. When using AI, NLRSD only uses Gemini because it is linked to its Google suite and has pledged not to use student data as part of its broader LLM training.
“ We try to make sure that things like single sign-on is applied to everything
94 April 2026