District Finds Flexibility and Peace of Mind in the Cloud
January 03, 2024 by Shauna Seaver
Just as students and teachers have adopted technology in their everyday learning and instruction, school business professionals leverage modern software to make their processes more connected and efficient. Nampa School District 131 in Idaho demonstrated their commitment to innovation when they made sure every one of the district’s 14,000 students had a computer, in addition to devices for teachers and staff. But maintaining their network through on-premises servers left the district susceptible to the growing risk of cyberattacks schools face nationwide.
Discovering a Network Vulnerability
Only two days before the start of the school year and one day before payroll, a ransomware attack impacted every device at Nampa School District. “We were worried we lost all our data,” said Randy Dewey, the director of finance at the district, “but we knew we had a daily backup from Tyler Technologies.” However, some work still needed to be done to fill the gaps between the last backup and the time of the cybersecurity incident. “We learned really quickly why it’s important to have good backups and a system that was not on-site,” said Dewey. The district decided moving their ERP system to the cloud was the best solution for their operations and security.
A More Secure, Connected Environment
Just like the district had invested in technology to support student learning, Nampa also saw an opportunity to use technology to improve their business operations. “We had wanted to [move our ERP system to the cloud] for a while, and when it was all said and done, it just opened up a lot of avenues for us on connectivity that we’d never had before,” said Dewey. With the district’s ERP solution in the cloud, the IT department has reduced their workload and the security concerns associated with creating VPNs for off-site accessibility. “We now have the ability to be anywhere in the world and have access, which has made it very convenient for our people.”
Transparency and Efficiency in the Cloud
Internally and for the larger community, Nampa has leveraged opportunities to streamline processes and enhance the transparency available through their cloud-based ERP system. Employees can intuitively access and update their information without relying on the business office. And financial processes are completed digitally with established controls in place, bringing confidence that the district’s data and reports are reliable and accurate. “Our hope is that we can get more and more information out to help us make better decisions for our community,” said Dewey. “We always look for different ways of doing things easier, faster, better. Anytime we can be a little more efficient, even to the point where we don’t have to hire somebody and can save taxpayer money, that just helps in our world.”