Insight Financial Services (IFS) empowers its customers to manage payments and continue teaching a technology-based curriculum year after year without struggling to fund technology upgrades. OETC and IFS have partnered to offer leasing services to educational institutions on a RFP-backed contract.
Recently, IFS had the opportunity to catch up with two OETC Members currently benefiting from Leasing Services and interview them about their recent experiences.
Doug Edmonson
Associate Executive Director of CTE and Technology
Mead School District
Mead, Washington
What were the factors that led you to explore a leasing and refresh program?
DE: We were looking to create an opportunity to obtain more technology at one time, and get away from the historical behavior our district has been used to: buy and die.
How will leasing and refresh help you build a sustainable technology budget?
DE: We are leasing our equipment, and because of this our teachers and students now understand that technology has changed so much in the last 10 years. So rapidly, that in order to stay current with technology and curriculum we need a better plan. We’ve determined that for student, teacher, and classroom devices a three-year leasing cycle works best and our technology won’t fail due to age. We refresh every three years and swap out for the latest equipment.
Describe the process you took to gain support for the program.
DE: I spent the time and had many talks with our superintendent and business office to help them understand how this will give them the ability to get technology in the hands of all students and solve the accessibility problem we were experiencing.
When I described the solution to principals, and they realized that they can make a decision that will last three years, and that they can change their decision after that period of time, it was a big selling point to them. They were used to ‘don’t buy until it dies’ and this allowed teachers and staff to not be locked-in beyond three years. In that time technology is going to change anyways, and they will be ready for whatever comes down that path.
What qualities were you looking for in a refresh partner?
DE: Honest and trustworthy partners who have a lease that supports the needs of the district, without hidden language or loopholes.
Peter Jurhs
Director of Information Service
Nampa School District 131
Nampa, Idaho
What were the factors that led you to explore a leasing and refresh program?
PJ: We needed to leverage our funding to expand our ability to support our Nampa Personalized Learning effort. It was key to get devices in the hands of kids, and quickly. It allowed us to meet our goals for our project with a timeline and pace that was faster than we could have had otherwise.
How will leasing and refresh help you build a sustainable technology budget?
PJ: The technology funding for the Nampa School District is coming from two sources; it is first a levy for curriculum and technology, second, funding for technology from the state. We are able to leverage those two sources into a viable long-term budget that keeps us current with infrastructure, classroom technology, and devices for kids. It has allowed me to build a six year budget plan to support our goals.
Describe the process you took to gain support for the program.
PJ: I was lucky. The finance director and superintendent both supported the idea of leasing. It was an easy sell for me. The biggest hurdle was getting the right legal language in the contract to meet the Idaho state law requirements.
What qualities were you looking for in a refresh partner?
PJ: We wanted one that wanted to be our partner. We did not desire to be “just another customer.” We wanted a partner that helped us with the planning and execution of the multi-year planning and budgeting process. Secondary, was lease rates and terms, and we were looking for the best lease we could find. We found the team at Insight Financial Services to be that partner.