As if schools weren’t facing enough challenges, many school districts are reeling from cutbacks stemming from statewide budget shortfalls. These budget setbacks are a direct result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
As their budgets are being shredded, schools are expected to cobble together a back-to-school plan that is resource heavy. Kids who’ve fallen behind from the learn-at-home period last spring will need extra help to catch up. Extra nurses may be required to manage potential infections at school. Counselors must be on alert to assist children who aren’t adjusting well to the “new normal.”And the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has outlined a series of guidelines schools should implement to keep students and staff safe from harm. These recommendations include everything from wearing face coverings to the daily sanitizing of all equipment, buses, surfaces, and more.
On top of all these guidelines and restrictions, school administrators are expected to manage these expanded services on a shrinking budget. While some concerned advocates of the education sector claim lawmakers should provide relief funds to schools, that’s unlikely to occur anytime soon.
Budget cuts + resource need increase = an impossible equation.
Fortunately, there’s one area that schools can focus on to lower expenditures while maintaining a high level of quality — school printing services.
Reducing Costs for School Printing Services Through Managed Print
Managed print services (MPS) can provide secure, reliable printing and a more efficient school environment by streamlining workflows through automation and removing the “unknown” factor in print costs.
Using MPS to Focus on Print Positives
Many schools spend more than 30% of their print budgets supporting “miscellaneous” costs. With MPS, these costs are consolidated into one easy-to-understand monthly fee that includes maintenance, services calls, equipment, toner, parts, and supplies.
Plus, MPS allows your school to reap the benefits of reduced — or eliminated — downtime to keep students and teachers in the flow. Make no mistake — IT downtime can be expensive. In fact, Gartner calculates the average cost of IT downtime to be $5,600 per minute.
MPS reduces downtime by managing your school’s print environment appropriately, with routine maintenance performed regularly. Also, troubleshooting and help desk calls are included in your monthly fee, so there are no surprise costs when unexpected issues arise.
Using MPS to Move to Digital Learning
Digital learning is a touchpoint for students, teachers, and parents as COVID-19 forces more educational institutions to seek better, more enriching ways to reach students in a safer environment.
Not only can technologies like interactive whiteboards help schools save money by reducing the amount of printing needed for traditional lessons, but they can also appeal to learners of all types: Kinetic, audio, and visual.
Besides the boost in engagement, this technology can easily be used to digitize lessons when students learn remotely amid the pandemic.
For the budget-conscious school, MPS provides several education solutions for educators, administrators, and IT personnel that not only eliminate unnecessary expenses but also help reach — and teach — students more effectively.
Let RJ Young’s Managed Print Services Experts Help Your School Save on Print Costs
At RJ Young, we take pride in curating the latest state-of-the-art technologies to give our school clients the widest choice in money-saving education solutions.
Our team of IT professionals can expertly assess your current print infrastructure, help you determine your needs and goals, and design a managed print environment that can take your organization to the next level. Additionally, we’re able to fine-tune your system as your needs change and your organization expands — and we can do it while helping you keep a close eye on your bottom line.
Reduce your school’s printing costs while providing thehigh level of service your students and staff need. Touch base with an RJ Young consultant and discover the many ways we can help you pare back your school printing costs while keeping your organization efficient and productive.