A Tech Director’s Take on Smarter School Budgeting
Budget season can be overwhelming for school districts, especially with rising costs and budget cuts. As a former tech director, I know firsthand how challenging it is to stretch a school budget while ensuring teachers and students have the right tools.
In fact, according to Statista, in the 2023-24 school year, K-12 districts accessed an average of 2,739 education technology (EdTech) tools—a massive increase from just 841 EdTech tools in 2018-19. With so much software in use, evaluating and optimizing your technology budget is more important than ever.
Here are four key steps I took to make sure our district’s technology budget was working efficiently:
Audit Software Usage
One of the first things I did was check whether we were actually using the software we paid for. Many districts invest in tools that end up sitting idle. To avoid wasted funds, I asked:
- Are teachers and students actively logging in?
- Are they spending time in the platform?
- Is the software providing measurable value?
If the answer was “no,” we either cut the tool or found a better solution.
Identify Overlapping Tools
With thousands of EdTech tools available, districts often end up with multiple products that do the same thing. During budget season, I carefully reviewed:
- Which tools had overlapping functions?
- Could we consolidate into one, more effective solution?
- Was there a more cost-efficient way to accomplish the same goal?
By eliminating redundant software, we freed up funding for resources that truly made an impact.
Streamline and Consolidate
Teachers don’t want to juggle multiple logins. The fewer platforms they have to navigate, the better. That’s why I prioritized tools that offered:
- Single sign-on (SSO) integration to reduce login fatigue
- All-in-one solutions that combined multiple functions in one system
- Seamless integration with existing district platforms
The goal was to create a smoother experience for staff while maximizing the value of our technology budget.
Plan for Growth and Sustainability
It’s easy to get caught up in immediate needs, but I always considered the long-term. Before committing to new software, I asked:
- Will this platform grow with our district’s needs?
- Does it regularly update and improve?
- Can it integrate into a more sustainable platform, like our SIS?
I also avoided adding one-off tools that only solved a single problem. Instead, I looked for solutions that could scale and evolve with our district.
Budget season doesn’t have to mean tough choices between efficiency and affordability. By auditing usage, eliminating redundancies, and investing in scalable solutions, districts can make every dollar count.
That’s why many schools turn to OnCourse—an all-in-one platform that streamlines student information, curriculum, and assessment in a single system. With seamless integration and powerful tools built for K-12, OnCourse helps districts maximize their technology budget while reducing the headaches of managing multiple disconnected systems. Want to discuss strategies for your district? Schedule a meeting with me.
