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Insight
Newsletter Fall 2024
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Fall Greetings from OME-RESA!
As the crisp
autumn air settles in, we warmly welcome all our school districts to a
new season filled with exciting opportunities and continued
collaboration. At OME-RESA, we understand the importance of staying
connected with our members, and this newsletter is one of the many ways
we aim to do just that.
We're excited to
share valuable updates on department operations and the latest news
about our products and services in this issue. From innovative
solutions to projects we're proud to support, we want to keep you
informed and engaged in all that's happening within our educational
community.
Stay tuned to
our calendar of events for
important user group meetings, in-service meetings, and training
sessions. We always welcome your questions, feedback, and ideas for
future newsletters. Your input is invaluable to us, as it helps us
continually improve and better meet your needs.
We look forward
to an exciting fall ahead and are here to support you every step of the
way!
Warm regards,
Adam Truex ~ Executive Director
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A Message from Our Technical Services
Department:
Welcome to the
New School Year! As we kick off another academic year, OME-RESA
Technical Services is excited to continue supporting
educational institutions with our comprehensive IT services. This
edition of our newsletter is packed with essential updates, practical
tips, and exciting opportunities designed to enhance your IT
infrastructure and support educational excellence.
In This Issue:
1. IT
Solutions for Education
2. Essential
Back-to-School IT Tips
3. Upcoming
Webinars and Training
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We are excited
to announce our new Fiscal Tips and Tricks series entitled "Did
You Know?" in the OME-RESA Insight Newsletter!
We understand
that navigating the world of district finances can sometimes feel like
trying to find your way out of a labyrinth —blindfolded. But fear not!
With a sprinkle of humor and a dash of collaboration, we are here to
illuminate the path.
In this issue we
will give tips and ricks on the following
topics:
Payroll - YTD
Report
Budgetary -
Vendor Adjustments in USAS
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1.) Employee
Self Service (ESS) has replaced KIOSK. As with any software
rollout, hiccups exist and we are working through each as they arise.
OME-RESA's Brianne Nidle has made
transitioning a smooth process for our districts and we are so
grateful for her abilities.
2.) Our
Fiscal User Group Meeting will take place at Buckeye Career Center
on October 24th. This year there will be a speaker
from the Auditor of State. Also, Tyler Smith, a cyber security
expert, will be presenting on Best Practices for Preventing
Fraud.
3.) Calendar
Year End for Treasurers has been scheduled for December 12th @
Buckeye Career Center and December 13th @ Omeresa (Zoom Option Available)
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October is
Cyber Security Awareness Month
October marks
Cyber Security Awareness Month, a crucial time for us to reflect on the
importance of safeguarding our digital environments. At OME-RESA, we
are deeply committed to enhancing educational security, recognizing
that a safe online space is vital for both students and educators. This
month, we invite you to join us in fostering a culture of cybersecurity
awareness within your schools and districts. Together, we can take
proactive steps to protect our digital landscapes, ensuring that
everyone is informed and empowered.
One of the first
steps to ensure your environment is protected against cyber attacks is to know your potential risks. We
provide your district with monthly Nessus Tenable Vulnerability Scans
and CISA Cyber Hygiene Scans. These provide a list of potential
vulnerabilities that cyber criminals may use to gain unauthorized
access to your network.
Many of the
vulnerabilities listed on your monthly reports are versions of software
that need updated.
We also offer
different XDR/MDR/EDR software partnerships to ensure your endpoints
are being proactively monitored to help ensure that, should someone
gain unauthorized access to your network, you will be notified.
Please do not
hesitate to contact us to discuss your district's cybersecurity needs.
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Upcoming
Student Services Events
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The 2024 Fall
Student Services User Group Meeting will be held Tuesday, November
19th in Steubenville at OME-RESA’S Training Center. The
meeting will be held in-person and via Zoom.
We’ve recently
added a new training series relating to Student Information: “Course
History, Class Rank, Transcripts and GPA”. If interested, please
register for the event on our website.
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Cooperative
Service Department Announcements
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COOP GFS Prime
Vendor Program
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OME-RESA
Cooperative Service Member Districts that participated in the Gordon
Food Service Prime Vendor Program in the 2023-2024 school year
received a total of $106,461.81. This is a 2% rebate on qualified
purchases from each organization’s participation with GFS.
OME-RESA
Cooperative Services Department is pleased that we can offer our
members this valuable cost-saving program. We take pride in its success
and appreciate your participation.
If you have
any questions regarding this program or any of the programs by
Cooperative Services, please feel free to contact us. (coop@omeresa.net)
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E-Rate
Trainings Planned
With the
changes/additions to E-Rate for the upcoming year and in light of
FY2025 being year five of the current 5-year Category 2 funding, we’ve
changed the training format to make it more productive for all
applicants and allow for more Q&A.
Instead of the
usual “boot camp” approach, we have broken out the training into the
following sessions:
- Beginners - covers the basics of the E-Rate program
- Experienced (veteran) - covers the recent changes
and additions to E-Rate
- Form 470 Application Walk-through (appropriate for
both beginner and experienced filers) - highlighting how to file
for the new hot spot eligibility for students, staff, and library
patrons, as well as best practices when applying for Category 2 funding.
Each session
type will be repeated two to three times to accommodate schedules.
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While no new
details have been announced for next summer, we anticipate another EBT
program for the Summer of 2025. Please ensure those Free / Reduced
Lunch statuses are updated within ProgressBook
for all students, even if specific buildings or the entire district
receives free lunch. This could make a difference in EMIS
reporting and future funding. We plan to use the Analytics Hub/Report
Designer report created for S-EBT 2024 to generate future S-EBT
submission files. We expect to hear from DEW or ODJFS in March or April
but it is a good idea to verify the data early before the end-of-year
rush.
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Vendor
Application and Data Management
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With the new
requirements brought to us with SB29, we
recommend that each district set up an application review committee to
vet requests for third-party application purchases. This measure
could assist districts in keeping track of programs that have access to
your student data, with the potential added benefit of saving
money. In the past, we've seen districts purchase software
programs that have been unnecessarily complex to use and manage or have
features already available in ProgressBook. We
highly recommend you include your Technology Staff and your ProgressBook Point(s) of Contact in your
decision-making. You can always contact OME-RESA's Data
Integration Department (dataintegration@omeresa.net)
to see if we have any experience with third-party vendors you may be
considering.
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Empower
Students to Make Informed Information Choices
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With a swipe and
a tap, students and adults can access information more easily than
before. Sorting through social media, news-based websites, and podcasts
to find quality information is challenging. To meet this challenge,
students and educators need the tools, strategies, and practice to
navigate the media landscape.
How can
educators help students find reliable information? Encourage students
to begin their search for information with a search tool that only
retrieves results curated by information professionals, such as Explora for Grades 6-8 and INFOhio's ISearch. Once students
have found some information sources, they still need to develop
evaluation skills to determine if those resources are biased or meet
their information needs. Consider eBooks like Evaluating Online
Sources and digital resources like Points of View Reference
Source and News Literacy Project to
help build students' evaluation skills.
To learn more
about finding and evaluating information, read the Teach With INFOhio Blog post, Empower Students to Make
Informed Information Choices. If you have any questions,
INFOhio is here to help! Please contact INFOhio Support at support.infohio.org.
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Debbie
Mitchell
Debbie joined
OME-RESA in July with a strong IT Administration background and over 25
years of experience as a Systems Engineer.
Debbie is
overseeing our internal and cloud server infrastructures and her
dedication to ensuring our systems run smoothly is
commendable. She works directly with district staff to assist with
their virtual servers, security, and maintenance and has been working
hard to improve our business continuity by updating our documentation
and streamlining processes.
Outside of work,
Debbie enjoys spending quality time with her family, especially her
three grandchildren, and engaging in DIY projects.
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Samantha
Rogers
Samantha joined
our Student Services staff at the beginning of the
2024-2025 school
year as our new EMIS Support Liaison. She brings with her 8 years of
EMIS experience from a mid-sized district of apx.
4,000 students. Not only does she bring years of experience, but also a
positive attitude and the initiative to help others.
Samantha's goal
at OME-RESA is to provide others with her knowledge and experience to
help them be the best they can be at their roles at the district level.
Her inspiration
is her husband, daughter, and two step-sons. In her spare time, she
likes to craft, bake, and spend time with family.
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