Equity and Access for Urban and Rural School Districts
January 05, 2024 by Shauna Seaver
Education Service Districts (ESDs) fulfill or supplement the programs and services that regional groups of school districts need to operate. In some cases, these districts vary widely in size, resources, and locations, making it helpful for ESDs to be able to deliver their services flexibly and remotely. In Oregon, Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD) uses a paperless ERP system to deliver finance and human resources support based on the unique needs of every district they serve.
School Business Services for Every Circumstance
Small, rural school districts often operate with limitations, whether it be tight budgets or small applicant pools for specialized positions. “If your town has a population of 2,000 people, it’s unlikely you have a local expert to hire in every possible area of education,” explained Holly Langan, the former assistant director of finance at NWRESD. Meanwhile, larger districts that have more resources may experience personnel gaps due to situations such as retirements or leaves of absence. To level the playing field and enable consistency for the 20 districts they serve, NWRESD aims to provide scalable, equitable business services as district needs fluctuate.
Paperless ERP Enables Remote Support
NWRESD’s ERP software allows them to deliver paperless finance and human resources services to their districts, whether they’re across the street or miles away. “Because it's all paperless, our districts can get our support without us physically being present. We can do everything through the system to help them,” said Langan.
Because the ERP software is used universally, NWRESD can seamlessly step in as resources change. “It's very flexible, and it allows us to fill in. Maybe a district has an amazing resource as a business manager, but that person is out for six months. And so we can come in and support them because we're all using the same system,” said Langan. This connectivity empowers the ESD to easily collaborate with their districts and provide their school business expertise as needed.
Delivering Business Services Equitably
With ERP software that’s comprehensive but also scalable, NWRESD can provide their expert-level support and technology resources to small and large districts — and they can all reap the same benefits. “We can use our system to provide equitable resources to communities that may not have access to a person experienced in school finance,” Langan explained. “And so in that way, they're getting the same support and access to business systems that other larger districts are able to afford.” Through this access to NWRESD’s business services and ERP software resources, small districts can expand their capabilities and operate at the same level as larger districts.