On the Ground at CITE: What K-12 IT Teams Are Planning for 2026

CITE in California brought clear momentum around modernizing school networks. Across conversations with district technology leaders, several priorities surfaced repeatedly:

• Refreshing aging Wi-Fi® systems
• Moving toward Wi-Fi 7
• Upgrading to multigig switching
• Preparing for higher device density
• Reducing support tickets through better visibility
• Strengthening safety and camera networks

With Year 1 of the E-Rate cycle underway, districts see this as a rare window to make foundational upgrades that can support the next 5–7 years of growth.

RUCKUS AI™ also generated strong interest, especially the Digital Systems Engineer (DSE). Being able to troubleshoot with natural-language commands resonated with teams that need faster ways to understand what’s happening across their networks.

What K-12 Networks Need from Switching Today

K-12 environments are among the most demanding. IT teams support:

• Online testing
• Classroom mobility
• Smartboards and AV systems
• Safety platforms
• IoT devices
• Building operations
• Districtwide cameras
• Student and teacher devices
• After-school and stadium networks

When switching falters, classrooms slow down, testing is disrupted, and support teams get buried in urgent issues. When switching stays stable, everything runs smoothly.  RUCKUS ICX® was engineered specifically for these real-world school conditions.

Built for Real School Workloads

ICX switches include wire-speed forwarding, non-blocking architectures, fast failover, and flexible stacking. This helps schools stay steady during:

• Testing surges
• Video streaming across classrooms
• Safety camera bursts
• Arrival and dismissal spikes
• STEM and CTE lab activity

These capabilities reflect the daily rhythm of K-12 networks and the pressure they face.

Stacking That Makes District Life Easier

School environments grow one project at a time. New wings open, portables get added, libraries modernize, or STEM labs expand. Logical chassis stacking in ICX switches helps IT teams:

• Manage an entire stack with one IP
• Scale without rearchitecting the network
• Avoid performance bottlenecks
• Add switches as funding becomes available

This approach aligns with phased E-Rate purchasing and refresh cycles.

Resiliency That Reduces Classroom Interruptions

Fabric-level redundancy, intelligent failover, and adaptable uplinks help maintain service during maintenance or unexpected outages. A dropped connection during testing or instruction can derail a classroom. These resiliency features minimize disruptions and reduce the number of urgent tickets that pull staff away from long-term responsibilities.

Long-Term Reliability for Education Budgets

Education budgets move in cycles, so switches often need to last several refresh windows. ICX switches are built for longevity, helping districts:

• Extend refresh timelines
• Reduce operational overhead
• Maintain stable environments for years

It’s one reason ICX hardware often stays in service longer than competitive models.

What K-12 IT Teams Consistently Ask For

Across hundreds of conversations, the same needs appear again and again:

• Stable performance during online testing
• Switching that doesn’t require constant attention
• The ability to add rooms or buildings without redesigning the network
• Hardware that lasts multiple budget cycles
• Clear visibility across every site

ICX was built to address these priorities directly.

Preparing for the Next Wave of K-12 Technology

Growth in student devices, IoT sensors, safety tools, cameras, smart classroom peripherals, esports, and STEM programs means switching remains the foundation that keeps everything steady. ICX supports today’s load and tomorrow’s expansion.

A Better Way to Manage K-12 Networks
When paired with RUCKUS One®, ICX becomes even easier to manage. IT teams get:

• One cloud-based dashboard
• Unified visibility across access points, switches, and clients
• Reduced troubleshooting time
• Faster root-cause analysis
• Historical insights for high-demand days and testing weeks

For stretched-thin school technology teams, this level of visibility is a major advantage.

Final Thought

That ICX switch that ran nearly a decade before its first reboot represents what K-12 deserves: infrastructure that is strong, stable, and ready for what’s next. As districts plan their 2026 Wi-Fi and switching refreshes, RUCKUS is committed to supporting the networks that keep classrooms connected and learning uninterrupted.