Sturgis Public Schools

Sturgis, Michigan

Janene Kosman has a simple request … “Just don’t take Level Data away from me.”

As Technology Director of Sturgis Public Schools, Kosman was originally looking for a solution to streamline data entry and get better control of the quality of their data. What the Sturgis team received was a whole lot more…

“Once we started working with the Level Data team, our departments became energized about what could be done,” Kosman said. “No one had ever really evaluated our internal processes (for data movement) across multiple departments. Once we started this, our departments began collaborating on how to share additional data and improve processes for data movement, rather than each process functioning independently. This has been very exciting.

“One of the benefits of Level Data is that they are a third party coming in and looking at your business model and asking the tough questions and working through the process. Having a third party facilitate that, compared to trying to do it yourself with some free software, makes a huge difference. After we got it going I wished we had done it sooner.”

The end result is a clean and efficient model to move data throughout multiple systems (like SIS, Food Service, Finance, Time Card, Directory Structure and Google email connector) without user intervention. Many manual tasks, such as creating and disabling accounts for students and employees and year-end rollover, are now automated and current. This saves time and reduces operator error. The system was thoughtfully designed to be scalable as more applications are added as the district’s needs evolve.

In her role, Kosman interacts with other school districts and is often asked how Sturgis Public Schools – Level Data’s first client – manages the accounts of 3,200 students.

“I tell them we have Level Data do it and it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done. It just takes that responsibility and the tedious work out of the job so we can get the students going and focus on keeping the technology working in the classroom, rather than (wasting time) creating accounts.

“We just take it for granted now this is how life works. And it kind of amazes me how when I go to other districts and see how they are still entering all those users by hand and through spread sheets. My reality is just so opposite, in that it will be there and it will work.”