Now is the time for schools to purchase technology for the upcoming school year.
With summer rapidly approaching, the best way for schools to ensure that all of the necessary hardware and devices for the next school year arrive in time is to purchase technology now. Understandably, prioritizing ordering technology for the next school year can feel difficult at this moment. The school year often ends with a flurry of important activities like high-stakes testing, field trips, graduations, and stepping up ceremonies. These activities require a considerable amount of school leader attention and staff and teacher time to plan and execute. When all of this is added on to the typical day-to-day demands of school life, the end of the school year can be a fast-paced and hectic time.
Even though it can be difficult to find the time and it might feel reasonable to deprioritize tasks related to the school year to come, school leaders can find a way to create space to think about their upcoming IT needs. Identifying these needs early gives schools a chance to use the summer months strategically to prepare for the next school year.
Summer is a prime time for schools to focus on IT projects.
Outside of the education community, many people believe that, aside from a few summer school classes, schools are quiet places during the summer season. While it is true that most teachers and students are away from the building during the summer months, school leaders and non-instructional staff members, after taking a few weeks of vacation, return to school to fully close out the previous school year and begin essential preparations for the school year to come.
Summer is a great time for schools to focus on IT projects. Installing new A/V equipment like interactive projectors and document cameras in multiple classrooms or installing updates and learning software on hundreds of student and staff devices are tasks that are well suited for the summer.
Make technology purchases early to avoid supply chain issues.
To be able to take advantage of the summer months to tackle IT projects, it’s important for schools to have the necessary hardware and devices in hand. This is why prioritizing those technology purchases is so critical. In a typical school year, there is always a risk that limited stock, backorders, and shipping issues can cause a delay in schools receiving their orders. Those delays can impact when students are able to access their devices and can cause unnecessary stress on school staff. With this in mind, it is always prudent to place orders for the upcoming school year as soon as possible.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of work and life, including the technology supply chain. The economic slowdown, pandemic layoffs, halts in production, and labor and material shortages have put a serious strain on local and global supply chains. Even though many aspects of society are beginning to recover from the disruption and impacts of the pandemic, the strain on the local and global supply persists and it might be a long while before the return to a normal supply chain.
For these reasons, it is particularly important to place orders as soon as possible this year.
Technology plays a vital role in helping schools accomplish their missions.
When choosing the right and best hardware and devices for their students, teachers and staff, school leaders can ask themselves the following questions: Which tools and technology will support the school’s educational objectives and curriculum? Which will be a match for the varying technology skills among staff? Which will support school culture and student engagement?
Changes in enrollment are also important considerations for technology purchases. Schools that are expanding, either by growing grades or by adding additional seats to existing grades, need to purchase new devices to serve their growing populations.
AT CTS, we’re here to help guide school leaders as they make these purchases. Our team of experts can support you in asking the right questions and in getting the right answers that can allow your IT programming to help bring your educational vision to life.
At CTS, we help schools accomplish their unique missions.
Even in these trying times, CTS has a track record of successfully supporting our clients to overcome technology supply shortages. We purchase thousands of devices in bulk to ensure that they are available for schools when they need them and our team works diligently to find new suppliers and maintain those relationships.
Our team has worked with more than 60 schools across the United States to improve the quality of their technology programming. From managed IT services to IT project execution, educational data services, and a host of other offerings, we offer schools the full range of technology support they need to accomplish their instructional goals. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your school accomplish its unique mission.
