Financing For The Future: IFS Partners With Corsicana School District To Enable The Roll Out Of Code To The Future

How Strategic and Flexible IT Financing is Helping Students Across the District Gain Valuable Technology Skills

THE SITUATION

Corsicana is the largest city in Navarro County, TX, just south of Dallas – Fort Worth. Its public school district serves approximately 6,000 pre K-12 students at nine campuses with a workforce of 900 employees. The Corsicana Independent School District (CISD) is focused on teaching a rigorous and relevant curriculum in a safe and nurturing environment,
preparing students to succeed and work in a diverse world.

With its forward-looking approach to teaching today’s most relevant skills, the district has long been committed to keeping its student and faculty technology as current as possible. To support this effort, several years ago the district engaged with Insight Financial Services (IFS) for a technology refresh program. IFS provided the district with a flexible leasing schedule that met the specific needs of the district at the time.

Approximately 18 months later, CISD was presented with a new opportunity that would set the district apart, providing its future graduates with the advantage of a strong technology foundation. The district had applied for, and was granted, the Code to the Future computer science immersion program, which aims to inspire students to become aware of their potential, and equip them with the skills necessary in school and life. Code to the Future presented a clear benefit for CISD students. However, before it could be implemented the district faced an immediate challenge: its technology devices, while current and appropriate for classroom use, would not support the requirements of the new Code to the Future program. These 2000+ laptop and desktop devices – currently on a lease/refresh with IFS – needed to be replaced with new devices that supported Code to the Future for its students and teachers.

THE SOLUTION

CISD contacted its established leasing partner, IFS, for immediate support. After reviewing the current leasing schedules and checking the status of all relevant equipment in its asset management system (AMOS), IFS was able to quickly offer a solution.

IFS made it possible for CISD to move forward with the roll-out of the Code to the Future program by acting as a true collaborative partner. The company presented a plan to accomplish CISD goals which included:

• Termination of the two current schedules for laptops that would need to be returned, without penalty.
• Coordination of and payment for packing and shipment of all old equipment.
• A new flexible leasing solution designed for the 2000+ Chromebooks needed for the program.
• Continued access to IFS’ AMOS system for transparent visibility into IFS and external assets with reporting capabilities.
• Support for the acquisition of the new Chromebooks before the start of the next school year.

IFS’ leasing solutions are flexible to meet customer needs. AMOS provides visibility into leases and offers a simple, user friendly and efficient way to manage IFS and external assets. CISD experienced the benefits of the company’s favorable and flexible terms and conditions first-hand, as well as the value of its AMOS system when making changes to its environment.

“We were very excited about getting our students exposed to the coding curriculum and knew it would be worth the effort to get it rolled out in our district. IFS really stepped up to the plate to help us solve our challenge. Within just a few months, IFS had updated our leasing agreements, returned our incompatible equipment and got us what we needed. We were able to get the program started in our first two schools at the beginning of the year. IFS’ flexibility and collaboration meant that we could make this change at almost no additional cost and achieve a 1-1 technology ratio. They continue to be a great partner that is having a positive impact on our goals.” Elmer Avellaneda, Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs, CISD

THE RESULTS

CISD has had Code to the Future implemented at two schools this year and is looking forward to adding two more campuses this summer. Thanks to its partnership with IFS, 2000+ new laptops and devices are successfully using the program.

“The program has been even more than we hoped for. Students are learning and applying critical thinking that will serve them well into the future. We expect the long-term benefits of this program to be life changing for many of our students. We couldn’t have done it without the help of IFS. Their collaboration and customer-oriented approach to working with us made all the difference,” concluded Avellaneda.

Currently the district has achieved 1-1 technology ratio for those in the program and continues to manage its IT assets efficiently with the help of IFS’ AMOS tool. At the end of the new term, CISD has flexible options to extend, purchase or renew any device. The results achieved from this program benefit not only the internal IT operations of the school district but extend to the students, faculty and overall community.

“Code to the Future not only teaches coding skills but also thought processes, creative thinking, problem solving and working together in groups–critical skills necessary for success as adults. The students are owning their learning. It translates into how to be successful as adults. If you have a problem, you learn how to problem solve. We are excited about the potential of expanding the program in the next few years,” Dr. Diane Davis Frost, Superintendent of Schools, CISD

CISD and IFS are working together on additional projects that will further support the technology-enabled learning environment for its campuses. As CISD extends Code to the Future to more of its schools, IFS will work alongside the district to provide necessary leasing agreements for additional technology that support its faculty and student body at the appropriate time.

“At IFS, we focus on solutions that align with customer goals. For CISD, we were pleased to offer a solution that facilitated a switch to the new technology before the start of the school year to ensure CISD’s immersion program transition would be smooth and painless. In this case, we were able to even take on shipping logistics and returns for the district. The end result was a swift transition with no disruption to CISD’s budget or operations.” Jake Howard, Account Executive, IFS

For more information on how IFS can support the technology financing needs of your school district, visit www.ifsleasing.com/K12. or contact us today.