Lightspeed Systems Announces Inaugural Innovation Impact Award Winners at Annual DAC Conference
AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, March 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Lightspeed Systems® proudly announced the winners of its first-ever Innovation Impact Awards during their annual District Advisory Council (DAC) in Austin, Texas. These awards recognize forward-thinking K-12 school districts that are leveraging Lightspeed solutions to drive measurable impact across safety, AI governance, engagement, ROI, and compliance.
For years, DAC has brought together district leaders to collaborate, share best practices, and shape the future of educational technology. This year marks the introduction of the Innovation Impact Awards—created to recognize outstanding leaders at districts that are not only implementing edtech, but using it strategically to improve outcomes for students, teachers, and communities.
Award recipients were selected based on demonstrated innovation, measurable impact, and commitment to responsible, student-centered technology use.
2026 Innovation Impact Award Winners:
Data Innovation: Northside ISD (TX)
Northside ISD is transforming their edtech purchasing decisions by using Lightspeed Insight™ to bring Technology Services and Curriculum & Instruction together around shared app usage data. With ROI Reporting and detailed usage analytics , the district has reduced redundant tools, uncovered training gaps, and redirected spending toward tools that drive student achievement.
“We aren’t just looking at data; we’re using it to ensure every dollar spent directly supports student learning.” – Miranda Snider (Asst Director of Technology)
AI Governance Innovation: Corpus Christi ISD (TX)
With AI’s growing role in education, Corpus Christi ISD has utilized Lightspeed solutions to confidently introduce AI tools into teaching and learning. Corpus Christi ISD verifies privacy, security, and legislative compliance before expanding access—ensuring safe, responsible AI adoption across all user levels.
“We can easily manage access to specific tooling until our internal teams can verify privacy, security, and compliance with all legislative requirements for safe AI use.” – Thomas Molina (Information Security Officer) and Janelle Reyes (Technology Service Director)
Instructional Impact Innovation: Lincoln Public Schools (NE)
Lincoln Public Schools is redefining ROI from “Return on Investment” to “Return on Instruction.” The district is leveraging Lightspeed Insight™ to analyze instructional time spent in digital resources, and working to correlate that time with student achievement outcomes, to guide smarter instructional decisions.
“We are getting closer to the time when we can better understand not only whether a resource is being used, and not only whether it is useful, but for which type of learners it is the best resource.” – Kristi Peters (Instructional Technology Coordinator) and Kirk Langer (Chief Technology Officer)
Data & Compliance Innovation: Rogers Public Schools (AR)
Rogers Public Schools has strengthened district-wide app governance and oversight, ensuring every digital tool meets privacy and compliance standards. To support this work, the district uses Lightspeed Insight™ to centralize software approvals, monitor real-time app usage, maintain a comprehensive software inventory, and verify FERPA/COPPA compliance.
“Insight helps us track state-specific Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs), ensuring we meet all state legal requirements for documentation, transparency, and student safety.” – Michelle Martin (Information Technology)
Student Safety Innovation: Bibb County School District (GA)
Bibb County School District has implemented Lightspeed Alert™ to proactively address student safety concerns. The IT team is leading his team in turning the real-time safety risks identified by alert into timely intervention and coordinated responses that protect student well-being.
“As we onboard [Lightspeed Alert™], we have engaged district leaders, school building administration, and our Campus Police force.” Kevin Adams (Chief Information Officer)
Student Engagement Innovation: Dekalb County School District (GA)
DeKalb County School District is strengthening digital engagement by giving teachers real-time visibility into student device activity through Lightspeed Classroom™. With the ability to monitor online engagement, streamline communication, and reduce off-task behavior without interrupting learning, educators are better equipped to keep students focused.
“Our teachers appreciate the ability to block or allow URLs while seeing how many tabs are open during digital activities while helping students focus on the expected task.” – Terri Web (Manager III of Instuctional Technology) and Jamal Northington (Manager of Data Center and Cloud Services)
Security & Device Management Innovation: Fort Worth ISD (TX)
During a routine review using Lightspeed tools, Fort Worth ISD’s Technology team identified an opportunity to strengthen oversight and streamline device management across the district. What began as a standard audit evolved into a collaborative effort to refine processes, audit proxies, update safeguards, and ensure thousands of student devices were fully aligned with district policies.
“The project ultimately helped the district modernize workflows and reinforce its commitment to providing students with secure, reliable technology that supports instruction.”
“These districts exemplify what it means to move beyond technology adoption and into technology impact,” said Amy Bennett, Chief of Staff at Lightspeed Systems. “Their leadership demonstrates how actionable insights, when paired with intentional strategy, can drive meaningful change in student safety, instructional effectiveness, fiscal responsibility, and responsible AI implementation. We’re proud to partner with districts that are setting the standard for innovation in K–12 education.”
The Innovation Impact Awards reflect Lightspeed’s ongoing commitment to partnering with districts that use data not just to observe trends, but to inform decisions that directly support student success.
About Lightspeed Systems
With more than 25 years of serving education, Lightspeed Systems delivers the most in-depth visibility and control to power exceptional schools where students are safe and engaged; technology is compliant and easily managed; and resources are secure and optimized. Purpose-built for school networks and devices, Lightspeed’s cloud-managed solutions include the most effective web filtering, student safety monitoring, classroom management, device management, and data analytics software available. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a European office in London, UK, Lightspeed serves over 23 million students across 31,000 schools in 43 countries, utilizing 15 million devices.
Amy Bennett
Chief of Staff, Lightspeed Systems
503-891-7956
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